The Pennsylvania Office of the Budget on Dec. 23, 2020, announced $455 million in state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grants, including $19.5 million in Lehigh and Northampton counties described as follows:
| Project Name | Municipality | Grant Amount Awarded (Amount Requested) | Brief Project Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Products New Global Headquarters | Upper Macungie Township (Lehigh County) | $3,000,000 ($12,500,000) | Air Products and Chemicals Inc. purchased 53 acres of land at 1940 Air Products Boulevard for the purpose of constructing a new world-class global headquarters. The project consists of a headquarters comprising four major components: a 10-story Administration Building office tower (9 stories above grade and a basement level), a 130,000-square-foot Research & Development Building/Technology Center, 1,800-car parking garage and a Well-Being Center with Fitness Center (located on the upper level of the parking garage) as well as an outdoor walking track. The facility will feature five sections of green roof, and a solar array which spans 43,000 sf integrated into the parking structure. An existing Hydrogen Fueling Station will be upgraded and relocated from the current campus to the new headquarters site. |
| Allentown Housing Authority Little Lehigh Infrastructure II | Allentown City (Lehigh County) | $1,000,000 ($1,000,000) | Little Lehigh - Phase I will consist of the demolition of 8 existing structures and the new construction of 6 buildings plus a community building in their place. The scope of the RACP project includes earthwork, site utilities, roads & walks, site improvements, demolition, and concrete footings for Phase I. |
| Alloy5 Architecture Goodman Building | Bethlehem City (Northampton County) | $1,000,000 ($2,000,000) | The project entails the stabilization and renovation of a 100-year-old building and the creation of a new architecturally complimentary building in an adjacent empty lot at a key location in the heart of the SouthSide Arts District. The existing building will be home to 15,000-square-foot of commercial space, with anchor retail or restaurant on the ground floor and office space above.The new building will be constructed for modern apartments. Commercial spaces and a shared lobby will occupy the first floors of both structures. |
| ArtsQuest Community Cultural Center II | Bethlehem City (Northampton County) | $3,500,000 ($5,500,000) | ArtsQuest will construct a new 80,000-square-foot arts and cultural center at the current Banana Factory Art Center. The project involves razing 4 of the 6 current buildings, retaining 2 of the most historic buildings. It preserves the hot glass, ceramic and jewelry studios and adds digital, print and video studios and observations areas. It will add purpose-designed and flexible gallery, classrooms and meeting spaces, a 125-seat comedy theater, 2 outdoor arts plazas, artist focused 2D&3D Maker spaces and digital design displays. It increases artist studios from 30 to 36 with natural light with functionality for varying artistic styles. Finally, the center creates room for summer camps and the region's only Pre-K Arts Education Program. |
| Boyd Theater Redevelopment II | Bethlehem City (Northampton County) | $250,000 ($5,000,000) | The redevelopment of the former Boyd Theater property will be the first new mixed used residential development project on West Broad Street in over 35 years. This is a the largest underutilized property in Bethlehem's historic downtown. The redevelopment program includes 120 market rate apartments and ground floor retail.We will redevelop the one-half acre property by demolishing the existing obsolete two-story commercial structure and single-screen movie theater into 120 one and two bedroom apartments with modern layouts and amenities. |
| Capital BlueCross | Allentown City (Lehigh County) | $1,000,000 ($2,000,000) | Renovating and reconfiguring space in its building at 1221 Hamilton St. will ensure a modern worksite for current staff and enable the move of jobs from a subsidiary in Virginia. The planned renovation will include rehabilitation of all three floors. All floor coverings will be removed and replaced with new carpet and Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT). Interior walls will be removed to create an open office floor plan and all areas will be repainted. All ceilings and lighting will be replaced, and new acoustic tile ceilings will be installed along with energy efficient LED lighting. The exterior of the building will be redesigned with metal cladding, new column covers, a glass canopy, and new lighting. The main entrance will also receive a new glass vestibule and glass revolving door. To allow more natural light into the building, additional and larger windows will be installed. |
| Da Vinci Science City LLC | Allentown City (Lehigh County) | $1,000,000 ($8,000,000) | The new Da Vinci Science Center project entails the construction of a new 65,000 SF Science Center facility outfitted with 30,000 SF of STEM-based interactive exhibits, a 8,600 SF STEAM Learning Center with specially-equipped labs and workshop spaces, a 150-seat demonstration theater, a grand courtyard assembly space, and visitor amenities including a café and retail store. A one-acre site in the 800-block of Hamilton St. that currently is a surface parking lot will be purchased as the primary site. Two adjacent parcels totaling .25 acres will be contributed by the City of Allentown. |
| DeSales University Medical Studies Building | Upper Saucon Township (Lehigh County) | $1,000,000 ($7,000,000) | The project consists of the construction of a new academic facility that will be named the DeSales University Medical Studies Building on the campus of DeSales University. The building will be a 40,000 square foot facility that will house the DPT and SLP programs. The building will contain labs needed for hands-on instruction for both DPT and SLP, as well as administrative and faculty offices, a lecture hall, classrooms, a student lounge and storage areas. The building may also house a teaching clinic. |
| Hilltop Center LLC c/o Jaindl Land Company Lehigh Valley Resort & Spa | Lehigh Township (Northampton County) | $1,500,000 ($5,000,000) | The project centers around the repurposing and substantial renovations to the former Mary Immaculate Seminary and accompanying St. Johns Neumann Building. Located at 300 Cherryville Rd., Northampton County, the seminary opened in 1939 and closed in 2009. Repurposing the site as a destination resort and spa will have a myriad of benefits for the community at large. The adaptive reuse of this historic site is consistent with the goals of the county comprehensive plan and preserving the authenticity of these historic structures is of utmost importance. Accompanying the finished resort will be numerous recreational activities including an intricate trail network through the woodlands on the property and various agritourism experiences designed to accentuate the culture that residents of the Lehigh Valley have grown to love. |
| Kay Walbert LLC Ridge Farms Medical Office Building and Gateways | South Whitehall Township (Lehigh County) | $500,000 ($3,000,000) | The three-story, 45,000 square foot Medical Office Building will be a focal point in the village and will provide medical care to residents throughout the area. This project is part of The Ridge Farms, a $350 million, 138 acre mixed-use walkable community at the southeastern gateway to South Whitehall Township that also includes retail, restaurants, open space, and 780 units of housing. Construction includes but is not limited to infrastructure improvements, site work, concrete, masonry, carpentry, roofing, doors and windows, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and finishes. |
| Lafayette College Bushkill Campus Redevelopment – Historic Rinek Cordage Company | Easton City (Northampton County) | $1,000,000 ($1,000,000) | Proposed project includes anew 15-acre mixed-use redevelopmentof several buildings. Renovations include: One three-story building (Building A), two single-story buildings (Buildings C and D), and one unroofed structure (Building B). All the enclosed buildings' façades will be repaired to achieve water tightness. The brick and concrete block masonry will be cleaned and repointed, and new windows and roofs will be installed. In addition, Building D's interior will be renovated to serve two distinct purposes: creating a satellite location for emergency services; the other portion of the building will contain a makerspace and innovation area for the Engineering Division. A dedicated parking area with lighting and increased landscaping will also be constructed. |
| Lehigh County Humane Society Expansion | Allentown City (Lehigh County) | $1,000,000 ($1,500,000) | This expansion project will include a new state of the art Community Veterinary Clinic, renovated and expanded modern animal kennels and a new Community Adoption Center. The Community Veterinary Clinic will include 3 wellness exam rooms, radiology, a long term care area, dental, pre and post-operative areas and a surgery center.This project will renovate our existing lobby into a "Community Adoption Center", renovate 40 existing dog kennels and renovate and expand our "Feline Living Quarters"). Further renovations will take place in the newer wing in order to expand our Community Veterinary Clinic. The project will also include new construction that will house an additional 50 new dog kennels, a grooming area and a secure night drop for animal control officers on our municipalities. |
| Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority Security Checkpoint and Terminal Connector at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) | Hanover Township (Lehigh County) | $1,000,000 ($12,500,000) | Based on current traffic, TSA screening requires 3 lanes, while four lanes will be required in 10 years. The existing checkpoint is in a tunnel and only allows for 2 lanes that do not meet TSA standards. The existing vertical circulation area includes unreliable escalators (2) and an elevator without a stair. Community benefits include:Increased Capacity (4 lanes);Increased Safety/Security;Enlarged Terminal Space;Improved Passenger Safety/Health;Reliable Vertical Circulation;Improved Passenger Experience. |
| Mount Trexler Manor Inc./New Vitae Wellness and Recovery Veterans and Brain Injury Residents with Special Needs Expansion | Upper Saucon Township (Lehigh County) | $500,000 ($2,250,000) | There is a great need for veterans and other individuals with traumatic brain injuries or mental health challenges to receive specialized care. Our programs consistently have waiting lists. This project would create 48 additional beds to provide both residential and clinical services.This capital project will create six 8-bed cottages on currently owned property in Lehigh County. These cottages will be staffed 24/7 and have the dual purpose of residential and day programming for individuals in our care. Each cottage is self sufficient with bedrooms/baths, medication room, a kitchen, community areas, laundry facilities, and a learning lab. Each cottage will be ADA accessible. |
| Peron Development/City of Easton 185 S. 3rd Street Parking Garage | Easton City (Northampton County) | $1,250,000 ($5,000,000) | The redevelopment of the subject property will require a 245 space parking garage and podium to spur the development of three mixed use buildings. |
| St. Luke's Hospital-Allentown Emergency Department Expansion | Allentown City (Lehigh County) | $1,000,000 ($2,000,000) | The renovations to the Emergency Department (ED) include the construction of 9 additional exam rooms and the relocation of the ED and ED entrance closer to the parking garage for easier ambulatory access. |
