— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Big vehicles are preparing the land for construction of 220 apartments at the site of the old Bethlehem Drive-In theater off Easton Avenue.
The site is just east of the strip mall anchored by a Giant grocery store. That mall’s official name is “The Shops at Bethlehem at 2920 Easton Ave.” but nobody calls it that; I’d venture to say almost nobody knows that name.
The mall and the apartment site are both on the south, or Bethlehem Township, side of Easton Avenue. Cross the street and you’re in the City of Bethlehem.
More important for commuters is that the congested Butztown Road/Willow Park Road, home to the Keystone Pub and The Palace restaurant, will get busier. Traffic already backs up, particularly eastbound, and southbound Butztown Road drivers already have to hope somebody is nice and lets them in if they’re trying to go left on Easton Avenue.
I live not far away, and I won’t even try it except at off-hours.
The apartments to be built have been in the works for awhile. The plan was not popular because of the usual issues: stormwater, congestion, loss of open space, but it is a permitted use.
Back when it was approved in 2022, the development’s name was Thirty22 Garden Apartments, referring to its 3022 Easton Ave. address.
That plan included eight buildings, a clubhouse, open space and 480 parking spaces. There will be no road directly from the development to the strip mall. The entrance to the apartments will be off Easton Avenue.
As for when they will be done, the work I saw today looks very preliminary.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 
Great article, so hard to drive around here anymore.
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