172 new apartments pitched for 3 Bethlehem properties
Updated 7:30 AM;
Today 7:30 AM
Skyline West, a 50-unit luxury apartment building proposed for 143 W. Broad St. in Bethlehem, is seen in an artist s rendering.Courtesy photo
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Three new projects proposed in Bethlehem’s two downtowns could bring a combined 172 apartments to the city.
The Bethlehem Planning Commission on Thursday is set to review three site plans for new developments on East Third Street on Southside and on West Broad and East Broad streets north of the Lehigh River.
Developers plan to demolish a historic house at 143 W. Broad St. and construct Skyline West, an upscale 50-unit apartment building on an urban island of steep land tucked between Route 378 and the Colonial Industrial Quarter. The project estimated in 2018 at $15 million has been stalled by murky title issues that developer Jeff Parks says are finally sorted out.
Thursday's Bethlehem Planning Commission meeting will feature site review plans for several major developments, including a new building that will contain the Bethlehem Food Co-op, the Skyline West apartment project and a new, seven-story, mixed-use apartment building in the South Side.
Does South Bethlehem need more 150-foot-tall buildings? Plan aims to shrink max heights.
Updated 8:49 AM;
Today 7:59 AM
East Third Street on Southside Bethlehem is seen Jan. 11, 2019, from Zest bar+grill atop the Gateway at Greenway Park.Saed Hindash file photo | For lehighvalleylive.com
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Bethlehem planning officials and consultants are continuing to look at what kind of development the community would like to see over the next 15 years, including maximum building heights and design standards.
About 45 people engaged in a discussion about the “Southside Bethlehem Historic Conservation District Study” via Zoom on Thursday night. Some participants said they only learned about the meeting in passing, and organizers agreed to better outreach for future sessions.
A study aiming to balance future development with the charm of Bethlehem’s South Side Historic Conservation District recommends increasing building heights from 60 feet to 90 feet in one portion of the central business district, while dropping them from 150 feet to 60 feet elsewhere in the district.
Martin Tower redevelopment construction could start by the end of 2021
Updated Mar 11, 2021;
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Construction on the redevelopment of Martin Tower could be underway by the end of 2021, the site’s owner told the Bethlehem Planning Commission on Thursday evening.
The developers are asking the city to tweak the zoning rules governing the redevelopment of the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. world headquarters to allow for more parking near proposed medical buildings, the addition of a new Eighth Avenue entrance and a slightly denser development.
The commission voted unanimously to recommend Bethlehem City Council endorse all three changes, despite the city planning department’s advice to reject the request to allow more parking in front of the buildings. City council is set to hold an April 20 public hearing on the matter.