BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Four years ago today, a piece of Lehigh Valley history disappeared in a dust pile.
Martin Tower was imploded in a spectacle watched by thousands, perched at several points across the region.
The 21-story building at Eighth and Eaton avenues was the tallest in the Valley and the corporate headquarters for Bethlehem Steel.
It opened in 1972, and by 2001 when the steel giant declared bankruptcy, it was a shell of what it used to be. A few tenants occupied parts of the space for a few years after that, but the building was mostly vacant for years before its end on May 19, 2019.
Developers Lewis Ronca and Norton Herrick have had varying plans for the 53-acre site, which has yet to be redeveloped and is surrounded by fencing.
In February, the Bethlehem Planning Commission endorsed a revised plan showing 1,085 apartments in five buildings, plus a 200-room hotel. Two other buildings totaling 100,000 square feet would be used for medical office space.
