Parks is also the founder of the Lehigh Valley's most successful festival of the year - Musikfest. It attracted 1.1 million visitors from 43 states last year.
Now Park sis trying his hand at something new- development. He and the Benner family (Dennis, Garrett and Brandon) have formed Skyline West and are planning a 50 unit luxury apartment building to be located at 143 West Broad Street, one block from Main Street. The building is proposed to be erected on the eastern slope of a ridge between the Monocacy Valley and Pennsylvania route 378. Each of the luxury apartments will have balconies with views of the Monocacy Valley and South Mountain.
Amenities will include onsite parking, washer and dryer in each apartment, modern kitchens with gas stovetops, pet friendly environment with a pet washing area, fitness center, community room with outdoor deck, bicycle rack and a package receiving system.
Neville Gardner, who chairs the Downtown Bethlehem Association, supports the project in part because it will add 50 to 100 people who can patronize the downtown daily. In addition, "it will add a very cool contemporary residential option to the downtown.” Mayor Bob Donchez added that it "will go a long way in fulfilling the goal of providing opportunities for folks to live, work, shop and dine in our downtowns.”
Now that he's a developer, Parks wants you to call him JP.
Their next project will be a 60-story combination office building and drug treatment center, decorated with pink flamingos, in Historic Bethlehem.
"That ought to set Haines off," said all three Benners.
"That ought to set Haines off,"
ReplyDeleteI take it Haines is not a John Waters fan?
Love to hear their projected rents. Probably priced for the landed gentry looking for a city pad.
ReplyDeleteI will rent one. This is a great project
ReplyDeleteNot that I am against this project but I think it's just going to add congestion to the area & I don't know how there going to market the APTS. But you can be assured NJ & NY people will scoop them up & commute to there job's.
ReplyDeleteGoing to be fun watching the construction crew hit ALOT OF ROCK on that hill side hope they have extra money set aside.
Like the project or not, those apartments will be rented out in no time. The location is gold, and there is a demand for rental housing in that area that isn't in a beat up 100 year old twin or rowhouse.
ReplyDeleteThe NIMBYs and the CAVE people from the Historic District will be out in force against this. Damn pansy ass liberals led by Van Wirt, Diamond, Breena Holland, etc. will be totally against this because it is Benner, and he is the devil. Haines will be against it because he his against everything. If he can't have his building, then no one else can. He is taking his ball and going home.
ReplyDeleteI believe former State Representative TJ Rooney also played a part in the development of the Bethlehem Steel property
ReplyDelete"The NIMBYs and the CAVE people from the Historic District will be out in force against this"
ReplyDeleteUm,I was joking about the 50-story building in the Historic District. I'venoticed that extremists, whether conservative or liberal, tend to lack a sense of humor.
"Um,I was joking about the 50-story building in the Historic District. I'venoticed that extremists, whether conservative or liberal, tend to lack a sense of humor."
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know. I was talking about the actual project. Read the comments on ET articles. People are crazy-"Save the historic home", "Not Benner", "Not Parks". Sometimes people need to get out of the way of private development. This looks like a nice project, but people will find a way to bitch.
Talk about "squeezing" development onto a property site. These politicians will due anything for a buck. Isn't there zoning that states about offsets from nearby property right of ways (ROW) ? I can't believe that penndot won't have a say into some of this as well. With all that rock that needs to be moved, how about the stabilization of the Broad Street Bridges ( Both Lehigh and Northampton County and Penndot structures ) ? Emergency access to the building for fire ? Looks like piss poor planning on this end.
ReplyDeleteParks ran a non-profit partially subsidized with taxpayer money, so where is he getting the kind of scratch to fund this project?
ReplyDeleteThis place will sell out as soon as the rental office opens. I know so many people who want to live in the downtown area but don't want to live in a old apartment or house. Love it!!
ReplyDeleteI live in the Conestoga Court condominiums just to the south and east of the proposed apartments. This is one rocking neighborhood! I believe that many people do want market rate – housing and they want to be close to the activities and events on Main Street.
ReplyDeleteWhat we do not want and what we are getting is purchases of places like the Myers building which was on the low-end of market rate purchased by people who intend to use those units as Airbnb and short term rental.
If you want an example of what this property is going to be like, look at the existing dinner property on the south east corner of Center Square in Easton. They converted that older building into attractive apartments with the same design and shame market segments as this building is proposed to be.
This proposal is far less burdensome on inner West Bethlehem than the armory project, which sailed right through the zoning process despite many significant dissenting voices from the neighborhood.
Benner property
DeleteParking will be an issue, but nothing that can't be overcome.
ReplyDeleteWhat will the rents be?
ReplyDeleteLooks like a really nice place . Is it in historic b or just outside it?
ReplyDeleteIt is in the District & hence the reason it is inappropriately designed. Change the facade & it will be well received as a shot in the arm for the historic district. The city has done nothing for its downtown during the last 2 administrations but rather has focused solely on the Southside.
ReplyDelete"The city has done nothing for its downtown during the last 2 administrations but rather has focused solely on the Southside."
ReplyDeleteThe majority of the work on the south side has been done by grants, and through tax incentives on the largest brownfield in the country. As a taxpayer, I understand the need to get these lands back on the tax rolls. Even if you have to give a little upfront.
The problem with Bethlehem is everyone expects a handout, and when they don't get it they cry like babies. The business owners of downtown want everything, but piss and moan about changes. Even something as simple as sidewalks on Main Street pissed people off. Guys like Bruce Haines pissed and moaned about having to pay for part of the their sidewalk.
If this is good then you should be all in on the Armory project on 2nd ave. The armory has less density and reuse of existing building rather than tearing down a historic home. The Armory actually reduced the non conforming uses in the area, and is NOT in a historic district! The Armory has more parking per unit and the existing infrastructure to support it. Also close to downtown and will put feet on the streets for the merchants.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Armory is a fine project, just a little too dense. I was also offended that Planning Director Darlene Heller acted as a witness for the applicant. This project does have parking issues and steep slopes. But they can be solved. I do not see it running up against people's homes the way the Armory does. I support both projects. Both have issues. The ZHB had no problems at all with the Armory and supported it 3-0 after very careful review.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if they could build something environmentally friendly and sustainable. People who care will pay more for sustainability and environmentally sensitive design. Trump can't tax compassion, but he's trying.
ReplyDeleteugly, and its racist. ALl the people in the rendering are white.
ReplyDelete