Bethlehem planners advance 7-story apartment building approved for former Wells Fargo building | Bethelehm Area

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bethlehem’s Planning Commission on Thursday approved a land development plan for a seven-story apartment building at the former Wells Fargo building at 46–52 W. Broad St.

The building would offer 61 apartment units, the applicant said.

“It’s a large undertaking and a big project for our downtown in an area where more and more improvements are occurring,” Planning Commission Chair Rob Melosky said.

The Wells Fargo building, constructed about 100 years ago, is a block off Main Street. It stands out because of its ornate facade, tall columns and friezes in the Greek Revival architectural style.

Todd Chambers, with MKSD Architects, said the building will be preserved for retail space with residential development above.

Four floors will have 13 units, with nine on the third floor, according to plans, which show one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from roughly 700-800 square feet for a one-bedroom to 900-1,000 square feet for a two-bedroom.

The older, traditional Wells Fargo building will contrast with a new metal and glass facade housing the residential units, Chambers said.

The metal panels will feature a “significant” amount of glass, he explained. A building with such a feature can be dangerous for flying birds, Melosky pointed out.

On Thursday, Daniel Klem Jr., a Sarkis Acopian Professor of Ornithology and director of the Acopian Center for Ornithology, spoke about the dangers of glass buildings to birds. He said 3.5 million birds die each year after flying into windows and encouraged the applicant to look into outside surface treatments to avoid such avian deaths.

The applicant said they would work with the city to try to provide bird-safe glass options for the project, noting the cost associated with such options.

Plans call for a four-foot recess that will also separate the new portion of the building from the old.

Additionally, a two-story building, most likely housing a restaurant, will sit between the neighboring Dream Boyd Theatre Apartments at 30 W. Broad St. and the new apartment building, the applicant said.

The project is in the city’s Central Business District, which does not have a parking requirement. Project engineer Kevin Horvath, with Keystone Consulting Engineers, said residents will use the new Walnut Street Parking Garage as well as other city parking.

Northampton County property records show the Wells Fargo building was purchased in March by an LLC registered to Monocacy Builders of Bethlehem. The purchase, which included the parcels at 46-52 W. Broad St., was recorded at $1.6 million.

Monocacy Builders has spearheaded several major construction and renovation projects in the region, including the Dream Boyd Theatre Apartments next door to the old bank.

The apartments offer a mix of studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms.

In other news, the Planning Commission reviewed a sketch plan for a brand-new 23,394-square-foot dormitory at Lehigh University.

Tom Serpico, with Pennoni Associates, said the university’s dorm is planned in response to an increase in enrollment and will feature 375 beds across 245 units.

The project will also include improvements to University Drive between Taylor Street and Saylor Drive, effectively allowing two-way travel. Joe Klocek, the director of Planning, Design and Construction at Lehigh University Facilities, said the change allows for the removal of traffic from the interior of the university’s campus, something the university has been looking to do for years.

These freshman dorms will be built in a series of stepped buildings up the mountainside, which also enhances the campus’s ADA accessibility, Klocek said.

No formal action is taken during a sketch plan review; applicants receive feedback and answer questions from commission members.

Lastly, the Planning Commission approved plans for 330 E. Fourth St. The applicant seeks to build a three-story building with four two-bedroom units. Commercial space would be on the first floor.

“This is a good infill project,” Melosky commented.

The project offers six parking spots for residents, with two for the proposed commercial space. No tenant has been identified for the retail space, which raised questions about the proposed two-space allotment.

The requirement changes depending on the type of tenant, officials said.

The Planning Commission approved the measure on the condition that the applicant meet the requirements of the city’s review letter.