Development progressing at former Martin Tower site nearly two years after demolition
Nearly two years after Martin Tower was demolished in an implosion that could be heard for miles and drew thousands of onlookers, the owners of the property are seeking zoning changes that would allow them to proceed with development of the 53-acre former Bethlehem Steel site.
At Thursday night’s Bethlehem Planning Commission meeting, planners recommended approval of zoning amendments that would allow for the expansion of a three-way signalized intersection on Eighth Avenue and for more parking between medical offices proposed for the site, and decrease rear-yard setbacks from 30 feet to 20 feet.
The latest plans show some changes from the ones narrowly approved by planners in April 2019, said Duane Wangner, director of land development and planning for the owners, Lewis Ronca and Norton Herrick of SWB LR, Ltd., 8th and Eaton Holdings LP.
At that time, the developer was proposing a trio of office buildings — at least two of them medical — near Eighth and Eaton avenues where there are similar offices. There were to be 528 garden-style apartments, rising three stories high, on either side of the property. A gas station and convenience store, a 132-room hotel, a restaurant and up to two retail stores were also proposed.
The latest plan shows 10 buildings. It reduces the number of apartments to about 300 units, Wagner said.
The plan also includes two three-story medical offices and a 31,000-square-foot grocery store along Eighth Avenue. There’s a three-story professional building along Eaton Avenue, a one-story office building and 130-room hotel. The plan also calls for two restaurants and a gas station and convenience store on the southwest corner of the property.
The developers anticipate construction could start by the end of the year, but they still need to submit land development plans for the project. City Council will vote on Thursday night’s recommendations at their meeting on April 20.
“The original uses and overall plan are materially the same,” Wagner said after Thursday’s meeting.
Ronca was asking to put more parking in front of the buildings on Eighth and Eaton avenues.
To limit parking lots along major roads, the current zoning restricts parking spaces between a commercial building and the street to one driving aisle and one row of spaces.
Ronca argued in a Feb. 15 letter to the city that the rules create poor vehicle flow around the medical offices. They would also require most of the parking be behind the buildings, creating access issues for patrons, most of whom would be elderly and would be required to walk a great distance to get into the facilities.
It would also result in the loss of parking spaces, including required handicapped spaces adjacent to the entrance of the grocery store.
Ronca is also proposing to develop the east leg of a threeway intersection on Eighth Avenue connecting to CVS and St. Luke’s medical buildings. Making it a four-way intersection would provide direct access from Eighth Avenue to the proposed medical office buildings. The development of the signalized intersection is meant to prevent multiple uncontrolled access points from the main road.
At Thursday’s meeting, planners questioned whether the setup of the medical offices was the best configuration for the site, and wondered why they couldn’t be configured so there was more than once entrance, and the parking amendment might not be needed.
Wagner said the buildings were designed with specifications provided by the end-user, and with medical offices, security becomes an issue with multiple entrances.
Planner Matthew Malozi, who is an engineer, agreed that the nearby St. Luke’s medical offices had similar requirements.
“My concern with the designs of the medical buildings, or any of the buildings in the future, would be to think about ‘is this the best way to set up this lot?’ “said Darlene Heller, the city’s director of planning and zoning. “I do want consideration to be given to the design of these buildings and not just, ‘this is what we have and what we are going to put here.’ “
Scott Slingerland, executive director for the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, said he was concerned the project seems to be very “car-centric” and he hopes it will be developed to encourage biking, walking and public transit as well.
He also said he believes the proposal would significantly increase the impervious ground coverage on the site, but Ronca said the project is only expected to increase the total impervious surface by about 2 acres from what was there before.
The project will also draw less traffic, Ronca said: Bethlehem Steel anticipated 4,500 employees at the site, but the development is expected to draw half as many people.
Martin Tower, once the Lehigh Valley’s tallest building, opened in 1972 as the world headquarters of Bethlehem Steel. The company declared bankruptcy in 2001, and its assets were sold two years later. Martin Tower was vacant since 2007 as redevelopment plans emerged for the 53-acre site.
Plans stalled during the Great Recession, and the property landed a powerful tax incentive known as the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone in 2013.
The city rezoned the property in 2015, making it easier to demolish the tower. The zoning also opened the property to a variety of tax-generating development like office, residential and retail.
On May 19, 2019, the 21-story, 47-year-old tower was demolished in a huge blast that drew crowds throughout the city and left a pile of debris that amounted to 6,500 cubic yards of concrete and nearly 16,000 tons of structural steel.