- Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority on Thursday supported classifying the former Martin Tower site as a "deteriorated area"
- It's a prerequisite step for a potential tax abatement incentive to stimulate site development, officials say
- The public would have a chance to share its thoughts at a future hearing, and Bethlehem City Council would make the final call
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A Bethlehem official said Thursday that designating the former Martin Tower lot as a “deteriorated area” could bode well for future development on site.
After some discussion, the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority panel unanimously agreed.
Now, city council and the public will have a chance to take a look at the possibilities for the site at 1170 Eighth Ave.
A Lehigh County tax parcel map currently shows the property as owned by RMLP-MT LP, The Herrick Co. Inc., of Boca Raton, Florida.
The fate of that land has been a topic of discussion for a number of years.
A new discussion, possibilities
Bethlehem Community and Economic Development Director Laura Collins said the "deteriorated area" designation is a prerequisite for the site to be eligible for a tax abatement incentive.
Collins said the goal is to restart another public conversation about developing the site. She said part of the process would involve a public hearing.
“We know that developers don’t have a lot of appetite to do ‘affordable’ on their own, so thinking about what incentives will help move that forward is something we want to do; we want to have a conversation about that. We don’t know exactly what it could look like, but we do think it’s important to just get the ball moving.”Laura Collins, Bethlehem director of community and economic development
“I will say that there’s a long history of public support but, unfortunately, little movement advancing any master plan that really addresses our planning goals,” Collins said.
Another reason for the designation pertains to recent plans that she said show an increase in the number of housing units on site.
“We know that developers don’t have a lot of appetite to do ‘affordable’ [housing] on their own, so thinking about what incentives will help move that forward is something we want to do; we want to have a conversation about that,” she said.
“We don’t know exactly what it could look like, but we do think it’s important to just get the ball moving.”
“Sometimes when the property is at a point where it needs the kitchen sink thrown at it, this is one of those ways to identify it as a property in need of a lot of help."Alicia Miller Karner, Bethlehem deputy director of economic development
Collins' department would make a recommendation from the Redevelopment Authority on whether the designation is appropriate.
“We’re considering, really, at this moment, the condition of the site, characteristics, history, challenges developing it,” Collins said. “It really is an eyesore.
City Deputy Director of Economic Development Alicia Miller Karner said, “Sometimes when the property is at a point where it needs the kitchen sink thrown at it, this is one of those ways to identify it as a property in need of a lot of help."
Takes from the board
Redevelopment panel member Ronald Heckman said that at this point, he’s fine with moving ahead with the new designation.
He said he recognized that city homeowners will subsidize this kind of plan for some time, but it has the chance to make for a strong development at the site.
“I’m not against it. I’m just saying that, over the years, I’ve gotten more concerned. And I go back to the fact that, at one time, this was not considered a major area. But now we’re basically a suburb of New York and northern Jersey.”Ronald Heckman, Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority board member
Heckman said Bethlehem is a “very neighborhood-oriented city” with many homeowners, but the recent housing market has called for more and more rentals along with transient residents.
“I’m not against it,” Heckman said. “I’m just saying that, over the years, I’ve gotten more concerned.
“And I go back to the fact that, at one time, this was not considered a major area. But now we’re basically a suburb of New York and northern Jersey.”
Redevelopment Authority Chairwoman Tracy Oscavich said she drives by the lot every day, and there’s “no question” as to whether the site should be designated as deteriorated.
“This is one of the biggest opportunities beyond just the city of Bethlehem. It's 55 acres in an urban area next to great infrastructure; it’s a site with so much potential.”Tracy Oscavich, Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority chairperson
“This is one of the biggest opportunities beyond just the city of Bethlehem,” Oscavich said. “It's 55 acres in an urban area next to great infrastructure; it’s a site with so much potential.”
Authority board member Tracy Samuelson asked whether the whole property was being planned for housing.
Collins said two medical offices also are approved to sit on the property at Eighth and Eaton avenues. The developer has gotten land development approvals for them and has submitted for permits, she added.
