If you build it, they will come. That's the hope anyway for Allentown's up-and-coming hockey arena and concert venue. 

But will the stadium really be able to draw the big-name talent that translates into big-time bucks for the downtown? 

In about two years the arena will be able to seat 10,000 screaming fans, making it the largest events center in the Lehigh Valley. It's that size, said experts, that will make the venue pay off.

Acts like Elton John and the Eagles are no strangers to the Sovereign Center in Reading, but with nearly 1,000 more seats, David Sestak, president of Media Five Entertainment, said Allentown's new arena has the potential to draw even bigger talent.

"This is going to take the Lehigh Valley over the top with the amount of shows that are offered and the diversity, and there's virtually no limit on who they can book in a building like this," said Sestak.

Don't expect Lady Gaga in the Lehigh Valley anytime soon, Sestak said, but 10,000 seats could mean sell-out shows for superstar talent you usually see in Philadelphia or New York.

"You're gonna be able to have a gross that could be over $500,000, so you'll be able to pay artist fees that are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars," he said.

Smaller, local venues won't be able to bring in that kind of money, and seasonal arenas like the Allentown Fairgrounds can't even compete, Sestak said. This site will be open year-round with the ability to hold one to two concerts a week.

"It's going to offer acts that have probably never played the Lehigh Valley before," said Sestak.

The location also adds an edge when competing for shows. Allentown is closer to New York than Reading, and Sestak said the city is the perfect distance away from Philadelphia.

"An artist could play Allentown and Philadelphia and not be in conflict in the markets where they advertise the show."

The arena will definitely be a destination for the biggest acts in the world, said Sestak.

"Wouldn't it be great if Billy Joel could come back to Allentown and actually play in Allentown," said Sestak.

Mayor Ed Pawlowski, D-Allentown, said he is already in talks with concert promoters, who will be able to get Philadelphia-bound acts to also make a stop in Allentown.