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Tuesday, October 02, 2018

Thode Pans Warehouse Proposed on Gun Club Road

Blogger's Note: Dr. Stephen F. Thode has been director of the Murray H. Goodman Center for Real Estate Studies since the center's creation in 1988. He was also a Bethlehem City Planning Commissioner. From time to time, he makes the mistake of sharing his thoughts with me.

Stupefying!

That's the word Sam Elliott (as The Stranger) used to describe the events in The Big Lebowski. I am reminded of that when looking at the proposed distribution center on Gun Club Road

I don't disagree that zoning permits this use. Nor do I disagree that those opposed face a huge uphill battle.

But I do question the location from the point of view of the tenant(s) who would occupy that space. It's nowhere near a major highway. Getting to/from 33 would require driving through Nazareth on 248. That's already a mess - especially between Green St and Broad Street (and several blocks either side). Getting to/from 22? Suppose the truck is coming from or going west. How are you going to do that? 248/946/191? Ridiculous! Via Bath (248/512)? Almost as ridiculous.

I'd like to see the financials (I know, a pipe dream) that shows the developer can offer a cheap enough rent to induce a tenant to this location rather one much closer to a major highway. Note well, I believe Petrucci is still trying to find a tenant for his 390,000 sf building on Jacobsburg Road near Wind Gap. And that building is only 2 minutes from 33.

Stupefying!
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 2, 2018 at 5:47 AM

    Does fact that the project has railroad access affect anything?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 3, 2018 at 7:35 PM

      When the township asked the developer if they planned to use the railroad, they said that it was a long shot.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousOctober 2, 2018 at 5:49 AM

    Does fact that the project has railroad access affect anything?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bernie O'HareOctober 2, 2018 at 6:41 AM

    RR access tends to make a commercial property more valuable, but I am unclear whether a working RR operates in that area.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 2, 2018 at 11:14 AM

    Bernie - the RR line is the same one that goes thru the Borough crossing both Main St and Broad St in Nazareth.

    The line starts (or ends?) in Forks Township at the industrial park on Kesslerville Rd, sort of behind the Two T's Driving Range/Mini Golf place on Sullivan trail... From there is snakes and turns up towards the Stockertown exit on 33, then south into Nazareth by the quarry areas, then over into Bath, crossing 512 over and back, then thru Lower Nazareth and the Industrial park by Dutch Springs, down towards 191 & 22 into Bethlehem along the Monocacy creek, crosses 512 again just below 22 exit, and staying along the creek past the Bethlehem Golf Club, Burnside Plantation and thru the Colonial Industrial Quarter (Old Musikfest area) where it merges into a main RR line along the Lehigh River.

    God Bless Google Maps and a few minutes of free time!

    Scott of Nazareth

    ReplyDelete
  5. JamesOctober 3, 2018 at 6:04 PM

    Would need to be purposed as such a facility and need special exceptions.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Eric MillerOctober 4, 2018 at 1:05 PM

    I do agree with Thode but look at Jaindl's 2.5 million sq feet of warehouses in Allen Township on Seemsville Rd. 329 and Airport Rd cant handle 1500+ trucks a day. Yet he is still pushing it through. What everyone fails to understand is the Lehigh Valley is in the international spotlight for warehouses, which you can thank the LVED for that. The higher ups want this type of growth because look at all the tax revenue and road improvements this is bringing to the area. Thats money the state doesnt have to pay to fix the roads.

    ReplyDelete

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