The iconic Crocodile Rock, which once rank among the world’s top-100 similar sized club, will be officially be torn down to make way for a six-story mixed-use residential and office building which is being called “520 Hamilton Flats.” The first floor will feature office space for multiple tenants with shared amenities such as conference rooms. Upper floors will mostly be studio or single bedroom apartments, and the top floor will include approximately 16 apartments with loft space.
The once popular music venue began it’s downward spiral in 2009 when a shooting occured outside the venue after a rap concert prompting the city of Allentown to enforce them to install security cameras. The venue refused to comply. Then it was busted numerous times for selling alcohol to minors which let to the Liquor Control Board to to label it a “nuisance bar” which resulted in it losing it’s liquor license back in 2013.
The venue tried to continue on for a few more years booking all-ages shows but failed to attract big name acts like it used to in the past. SLP Concerts, the leading talent buyer in the Northeast US pulled out completely from booking shows with Croc Rock citing that a good majority of it’s profits come from taking a percentage of liquor sales from shows. The club officially closed in it’s doors in 2015.
The shuttered music venue was purchased for $1.6 million dollars and is scheduled for demolition in the middle of next week.
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