Pennsylvania county gets $900k to remove asbestos at former Bethlehem Steel Corp. headquarters
Lehigh County in Pennsylvania will receive $900,000 to remove asbestos from Martin Tower, the former headquarters of Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The 21-story building is the tallest in Lehigh Valley, and it will be redeveloped into a residential, retail and office complex. The whole project will cost approximately $158 million. Of that, the nearly $1 million in federal money is only a small portion of the $7.4 million it will take to complete the asbestos abatement.
County officials hope that the federal money will allow the redevelopment to get completed more quickly and get the property back on the tax rolls. The developers have discussed the creation of a tax-incremental financing (TIF) district with the Bethlehem Area School Board in an effort to bring the site up to code and pay for the environmental abatement. A new TIF district would have to be signed off on by the city, county and school district.
Northampton County in Pennsylvania will also be receiving $300,000 in federal money from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for asbestos removal at a former Bethlehem Steel Corp. factory. The building site will be turned into a performing arts center with a two-screen art cinema and a 530-seat cabaret-style music venue.
For the full story, go to Lehigh Valley Live.
