BETHLEHEM STEEL AND THE CITY OF BETHLEHEM BREAK GROUND ON THE $450-MILLION BETHLEHEM WORKS DEVELOPMENT
Bethlehem Steel Corporation
For Immediate Release
BETHLEHEM, Pa., November 13, 2000 - Heralding a "new beginning for an old place," Bethlehem Steel Corporation's chairman and the mayor of the City of Bethlehem turned earth in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the $450-million Bethlehem Works development on the site of the former home plant of Bethlehem Steel.
Duane R. Dunham, Bethlehem's chairman, president and chief executive officer, told more than 100 community leaders, government officials, school students and South Bethlehem neighbors, "This is a special place and, just as we celebrated the birth of an industrial revolution over 150 years ago, today we celebrate the rebirth, the Renaissance, of our community - a new beginning for an old place."
Bethlehem Works is the development of 163 acres of former Bethlehem Steel plant property through a public-private partnership for entertainment, recreation, cultural and retail venues. The development is at the western edge of the 1,800-acre plant property, the remainder of which is being developed as Bethlehem Commerce Center for manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, office and transportation end uses.
Both properties will result in a public-private investment of more than $1.5 billion that will create during the next 10 to 12 years about 10,000 full-time jobs and more than $70 million in annual tax revenue. Bethlehem Steel Corporation, the nation's second-largest fully integrated steel company, is the land owner, which will sell parcels to owners/developers for projects consistent with the master plan developed by Enterprise Development Company, Columbia, Md., the site's master developer.
Addressing Don Cunningham, mayor of the City of Bethlehem, and the developers of the parcels, Mr. Dunham said, "Just as important as the tax revenues are the new opportunities that Bethlehem Works will present to the people of Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley - for jobs and fun - skating, shopping, movies, bowling, dining, museums - a quality of life improvement at a scale that was unimaginable just a few years ago."
The groundbreaking will start the construction of the infrastructure, which consists of underground utilities, the placement of above-ground lighting and the construction of the streetscape. Keeping with the industrial setting, the above-ground infrastructure components are designed to complement the existing two million square feet of industrial buildings that are being reused.
More than $12 million has been secured from federal and state funds for the infrastructure. Citing the public-private partnership as the foundation for the development, Mr. Dunham praised the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for foresighted leadership in bringing the project to fruition.
"The two key legislators who delivered critical support in the very early days of this project were U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum. Working together, they were able to include Bethlehem Works in the final night's passage of TEA-21, the transportation appropriation bill approved by the Congress. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge and Secretary of Economic Development Sam McCullogh directed key Community and Economic Development funding to Bethlehem Works," said Mr. Dunham.
The infrastructure construction will begin within the next week, closely followed by construction of several key components of Bethlehem Works that will comprise 72 acres of adaptive construction. Scheduled to open in late summer/fall 2001 are:
- A multiplex movie theatre featuring 10 to 12 screens and seating for about 2,500 people.
- A dual rink hockey/figure skating arena.
- A 100,000-square-foot family fun center known as the Fundry at Bethlehem Works with batting cages, virtual reality games, indoor golf, soft play for young children and 32 lanes for bowling.
- The Preview Center for the National Museum of Industrial History, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, in the 1913 Electrical Repair Shop, featuring the 1876 Exposition Collection of industrial machinery from the Smithsonian's collection.
Bethlehem Steel's former headquarters building is planned for conversion to a 250-room hotel/conference center that could open in 2002 along with the annex to that building to be adapted to house offices employing about 500 people.
"As Bethlehem Steel, we are proud of our past contributions to our namesake city and very proud of this project, which, because of the future jobs and expanded tax base, will significantly determine the course of the city's future," said Mr. Dunham. "Our partnership with the City of Bethlehem is a commitment to our city's future. Good citizenship is a principal objective of our company, and nowhere is it better illustrated than here at Bethlehem Works in Bethlehem, Pa.," he concluded.
In addition to master developer Enterprise Development Company, the infrastructure construction will be managed by Alvin H. Butz Inc., Allentown, Pa., and G. Edwin Pidcock Co., LLP, as construction managers. Engineers for the project are Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc., Bethlehem, and Barry Isett & Assoicates, Inc., Trexlertown, Pa. Utilities' contractors are PPL, Allentown; Bell Atlantic - Pennsylvania, Inc., North Wales, Pa.; RCN, Bethlehem, and Service Electric Cable TV, Inc., Bethlehem. Streets and utilities' consulting will be managed by Allan A. Myers, Inc., Allentown. Landscaping is being performed by Grace Industries, Inc., Nazareth, Pa., with electrical subcontracting services by Lombardo & Lipe, East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Information on continuing developments at Bethlehem Works and Bethlehem Commerce Center can be obtained at www.bethsteel.com, www.bethlehemworks.com and www.bethcommercecenter.com.