City Center will be leasing five “Live x Work Units” in The Hive Residences, a 258-apartment complex located at Seventh and Linden streets. (rendering courtesy City Center Allentown)

The newest residential community being developed by City Center Allentown will offer spaces where entrepreneurs can operate their storefront right in the heart of the city’s revitalized downtown, while living in an apartment on the floor directly above their business locations.

City Center will be leasing five “Live x Work Units” in The Hive Residences, a 258-apartment complex located at Seventh and Linden streets, providing a unique opportunity for early-stage companies and startups in the Lehigh Valley.

“We are seeing strong demand from entrepreneurs wanting to live and work in the same location,” said Zachary Sienicki, Vice President of City Center Residential. “These Live x Work Units are perfect for professionals from lawyers to artists and photographers, retailers or any small business looking to grow.”

The business spaces range from 800 to 1,175 square-feet with a storefront directly on 7th Street, in a spot with heavy foot traffic amidst the city’s central business district, located just down the street from the PPL Center hockey arena and other downtown bars and restaurants.

Second-floor apartments are located just above each business space. The five Live x Word Units include one two-bedroom apartment and four one-bedroom units, the lease for one of which is already being finalized, according to City Center Allentown.

This unique live-work design is uncommon, but similar units have started to be built with increasing frequency in California and other places across the country, and City Center’s Live x Work Units are among the first in the wave of this new trend, officials said.

To learn more or inquire about leasing apartments at The Hive Residences or one of the Live x Work Units, visit the Hive’s website or contact live@thehiveallentown.com.

The Hive Residences at 107 N. 7th Street in Allentown will include 154 studio apartments, 83 one-bedroom apartments, and 21 two-bedroom apartments across two buildings connected by a common courtyard & pedestrian bridge.

Pre-leasing has already begun on the first three floors of the south building, and about 90 leases have already been signed, according to Tara Anthony, Director of City Center Residential.

A total of 156 apartments will be located in the south building, and 102 units in the north building, Anthony said. Construction remains ongoing in the unfinished portions of the complex, and the entire building is expected to be completed by mid-August.

The Hive Residences are part of more than $800 million that City Center Allentown has invested in downtown Allentown in recent years, which has resulted in 3 million square feet of development and more than 5,000 new people working in the city’s downtown.

The Live x Work Units have move-in ready workspace, requiring only furniture to be provided by lessees. Parking will be available for customers on 7th Street and in the garage behind the building.

These units are among multiple efforts by City Center Allentown to foster startups and entrepreneurship. The organization has also established the urban co-working space Velocity, which seeks to encourage the creation of innovative, forward-thinking small businesses in the city’s downtown.

City Center also collaborates with Lehigh Valley LaunchBox, and worked with Lafayette College’s Dyer Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to launch The Real Estate Lab, a program that teaches downtown Allentown residents how to invest in real estate and manage properties in their community.