Small group protests demolition of Allentown State Hospital
Amanda Tyrrell remembers the first time she drove by the Allentown State Hospital as a child and was struck by the size and beauty of the iconic main building overlooking the East Side.
“My mouth dropped,” Tyrrell recalled feeling as an 8-year-old seeing the beautiful brick exterior and rotunda. “I was drooling. I was in awe.”
That appreciation of the 195acre property on Hanover Avenue spurred Tyrrell to hold a protest Saturday morning against the planned demolition of the state hospital. Standing in front of the main building, Tyrrell and two friends held signs that read “Stop Demolition,” “This Place Matters” and “Save The Hospital.” Tyrrell, who lives in nearby Bethlehem, said she would like to see the facilities turned into a Veterans Affairs hospital or school.
“It should be used for something better,” she said.
“Give it a new life.”
Tyrrell, protesting with Bob Hertz and Otoel Fernandez, was hoping to get the attention of state officials, but that might be a lost cause. In June, the Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill by Sen. Pat Browne that directs the state Department of General Services to demolish all buildings and structures on the property, except for an air monitoring station.
A developer then would be chosen based upon best value and return on investment, which in addition to price may include “the proposed use of the property, job creation, return to the property tax rolls and other criteria specified in the solicitation documents,” the bill states. According to Lehigh County records, the property, at 1600 Hanover Ave., has an assessed value exceeding $33 million.
The state hospital land has been the focus of debate since it closed in 2010. It has cost taxpayers $2.2 million annually in maintenance on the 28 buildings and land. Still, preservationists have cited its historic value, architectural beauty and potential for repurposing in an effort to save the property from development. Tyrrell is not the only community member to protest the flattening of the property; more than 6,000 people have signed an online petition asking state officials to reconsider their decision.
Development of the land is what scares Hertz, who lives around the corner from the state hospital. From his place, Hertz can see the deer, wild turkeys and foxes on the state hospital land. He worries about what will happen to those animals if development occurs. Instead, he would like to see the land turned into a state park.
“Any kind of redevelopment is a horrible idea just for the wildlife alone,” he said.
The hospital opened in 1912 as a psychiatric facility and housed patients for almost 100 years. While it was a place that patients sought treatment, it was also where they befriended each other and held holiday parties and dances. That’s a personal detail that Tyrrell thinks should stop a demolition
“That was someone’s home at one point in life,” she said.
That home for some patients has also been one of the most iconic and handsomest buildings in the Lehigh Valley for decades.
With the implosion of Martin Tower, once Bethlehem Steel’s headquarters, in May, Hetrz says the area is losing so much history.
“How much more are we going to lose before someone ways, ‘Wait, no more,’ ” Hertz said. “We don’t want to see these beautiful, iconic buildings in a pile of rubble.”
Morning Call reporter Jacqueline Palochko can be reached at 610-820-6613 or at jpalochko@ mcall.com.