BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Residents displaced by a May fire at the Five10 Flats apartment and retail building could get a chance to move back in as soon as January, according to one building official.
And some new and some familiar dining experiences are on the way for the eastern end of Third Street.
That's according to former Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, now director of business development for Peron Development, which built the Five10 complex at 510 E. Third St.
On May 2, it was engulfed by a four-alarm fire deemed by the city Fire Marshal’s office to be caused by “improperly discarded smoking materials.”
“The roof is now being started, reconstruction of the roof; all the remediation is done. And we’re looking at maybe about five months from now we would hope to be able to have occupancy.”Former Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, now director of business development for Peron Development, on building restoration progress after Five10 Flats fire in May
“The roof is now being started, reconstruction of the roof; all the remediation is done,” Callahan told LehighValleyNews.com.
“And we’re looking at maybe about five months from now we would hope to be able to have occupancy.”
Twenty-seven of the 95 displaced residential tenants signed leases at The Marquis in Easton, including a waiver on associated fees and other incentives considering the tragedy, while the other 68 residents chose to make their own arrangements, Callahan said.
The day of the fire — a local, responding Red Cross chapter official called it the region’s largest in at least 15 years — the dozens of displaced residents also were provided temporary accommodations at nearby hotels.
"They were our priority from Day 1. As bad of a situation it was, I think we made the best of a really difficult situation, but we're kind of starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”Former Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, now director of business development for Peron Development, on assisting displaced residents post-fire
“They were our priority from Day 1,” Callahan said.
“And, you know, as bad of a situation it was, I think we made the best of a really difficult situation, but we're kind of starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The five-story building with 135 residents contained 95 apartments on floors 2-5 and seven businesses on the first floor.
ICE arrests on site
The month following the fire, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations office "administratively arrested" 17 workers who were part of a crew restoring the building.
The day after the arrests, a few hundred protesters came together near the site for a march to City Hall.
LehighValleyNews.com's requests to ICE for information on the whereabouts of the arrested — including 13 citizens of Venezuela, two of Mexico and one citizen each from Ecuador and Nicaragua — and their alleged "immigration violations" got no response.
"We were unaware of any issues until federal authorities conducted an enforcement action at the site."Paul Davis Restoration of Montgomery & Berks Counties
In the wake of the arrests, Paul Davis Restoration of Montgomery & Berks Counties, the company handling the restoration, released a statement to local outlets that reads:
"We are committed to complying with all federal labor and employment laws. Like many in our industry, we rely on licensed subcontractors for demolition and clean-up, and require them to verify that their workers are legally authorized to work. We were unaware of any issues until federal authorities conducted an enforcement action at the site.
"Moving forward we plan on reviewing all new vendor protocols. We are also mindful of the human toll of this situation. We share our client’s concern for the detained individuals and their families, and hope their cases are handled with fairness, dignity, and due process for all involved."
Recent requests to the company for more detail on building progress and an updated comment regarding the ICE arrests weren't answered.
El Jefe's opening Aug. 30; Mr. Lee's in coming weeks
For El Jefe’s Taqueria — the late-night “Free the Guac” Mexican street food spot with locations in Boston, New Jersey and elsewhere in Pennsylvania — reopening on site “is more than just turning the lights back on,” El Jefe’s owner John Schall said in a news release.
“It’s a celebration of resilience, community, and the love our customers have shown us,” Schall said. “We can’t wait to serve Bethlehem again — morning, noon, late night, and everything in between.”
“It’s a celebration of resilience, community, and the love our customers have shown us. We can’t wait to serve Bethlehem again — morning, noon, late night, and everything in between.”El Jefe’s owner John Schall
El Jefe’s donated $10,000 to the relief fund for displaced residents, according to the release.
The complex’s next priority project is to open nearby Mr. Lee’s Noodles again in “a matter of weeks,” Callahan said.
Since the Starbucks at Third and Fillmore is a licensee location and not corporately owned, Callahan said he’s “not 100-percent sure which direction we’re going to go with regard to that space.”
As for the future of Mercatino Italiano, an Italian grocer on site, no update was available.
What's to come next door
When residents find their way back, there will at least be late-night, soft-baked cookies close by, with Insomnia Cookies recently opening at the neighboring Six10 Flats complex, which was also built by Peron Development.
“I did stop there a few times late night post-Musikfest, and there was quite a line out front and a lot of energy and excitement about it. So I’ve gotten really great feedback; everyone seems to enjoy it.”John Callahan, former Bethlehem mayor and director of business development with Peron Development, on new Insomnia Cookies location
“I did stop there a few times late night post-Musikfest, and there was quite a line out front and a lot of energy and excitement about it,” Callahan told the Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Authority on Thursday.
“So I’ve gotten really great feedback; everyone seems to enjoy it.”
Callahan and Seth Tipton with Bethworks Greenway A LP and B LP, the property owner listed for both Five10 and Six10 Flats, were in front of the panel regarding a funding agreement for restaurant buildout work at the Six10 Flats building.
That could later include a “higher-end” Italian-Mediterranean restaurant with a liquor license, Callahan said.
And what was once Hummus House nearby, now Handheldz, will offer a “Cava-style” experience when it later opens, he said.
