— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The 400 block of Main Street is prime territory. It’s home to the Hotel Bethlehem, the Moravian Book Shop and other stores, restaurants and bars.
It’s also the site of a condemned building. The brick structure at 453 Main St., just a few yards from the hotel, has been marked CONDEMNED by the City of Bethlehem.
With much being made of the historic Moravian area nearby being named a UNESCO World Heritage site, this just doesn’t look good.
“This structure is unfit for habitation or occupancy. It shall be unlawful for any person to enter such structure without the approval of the Code Official,” according to the bright yellow sign, dated 3/1/2025.
The sign notes what appears to say “unsafe structure.”
The building was once home to a consignment store, but that moved out.
Wens Inc., based in Lower Nazareth Township, acquired the building in 2014 for $938,131, according to Northampton County records.
Here’s the sign:
To be continued ….
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 