Plan for 6-story South Side apartment building on hold
Bethlehem Commission delays final vote on proposal to demolish, replace Rite Aid strip mall
A proposal to demolish a strip mall in the heart of South Bethlehem, anchored by a Rite Aid store, is on hold after the Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission voted to table the application.
Milelli Realty, a New Jersey developer, proposed demolishing the strip mall on East Third Street to make way for a six-story building with 145 apartments and 11,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.
Bethlehem historic officer Jeffrey Long said the proposal is inappropriate for the historic district, which spans much of the Third and Fourth Street commercial corridor in South Bethlehem.
At six stories tall, it is significantly larger than many of the two- and three-story surrounding buildings, Long said, and could cast shadows on the structures across the street. The proposed use of synthetic stucco also does not align with the historic district guidelines, he said.
The building would use a combination of brick, which is in line with the district guidelines, and synthetic stucco, according to architectural plans.
Architect Eric DeLong said developers determined the building would only cast significant shadows during the winter solstice in December.
“There’s only a certain time of the day in the year when it becomes an issue,” DeLong said.
Commission members raised concerns about the building’s height and some of its design elements.
Chair Gary Lader encouraged the developers to more closely replicate the architecture of nearby buildings and also reconsider the six-story height, which he said is too tall for the district.
“We all welcome this kind of development in place of the strip mall that’s there, it’s just a matter of getting details right,” Lader said.
Long noted that the strip mall is not historically significant and does not have a discernable architectural style, so demolishing it would not go against the district’s guidelines.
DeLong said the developer has a “certain density in mind” for the building, and reducing the number of stories would mean reduced value. He also pointed to several tall buildings that have been approved in South Bethlehem, including a seven-story building at 317-325 S. New St.
Commission members unanimously tabled the application, and encouraged the developers to revisit the building’s design and height.