May 12, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
New Bethany, a south Bethlehem organization that helps people who are poor, hungry and homeless, will present plans for a new four-story annex to Bethlehem’s Historic Conservation Commission on May 18.
The plan is to knock down the three-story, 5,550-square-foot annex at 335-339 W. Fourth St. and replace it with a larger building. It will be one story higher, but buildings of seven stories are already up or in the works in south Bethlehem.
New Bethany says it needs a new building to serve people.
“Aside from the inability of the current facility to meet accessibility needs and standards, the housing is ill-suited
to serve families because the current rooms are only dormitory-style. Beyond this housing deficiency, the common
spaces on the Ground Floor can no longer meet the variety of programmatic needs that New Bethany offers to
the community,” according to the plans submitted to the commission.
New Bethany says in its proposal that the current annex has been modified and “has lost its historic integrity.”
The Historic Conservation Commission is an advisory body that reviews how plans fit into the historic south Bethlehem district. Bethlehem City Council makes final decisions.
The new annex will be larger, if all plans are approved. Construction would start as soon as the old building is down, so there won’t be an unsightly lot of rubble on West Fourth Street.
“The total square footage of the new structure would be approximately 13,925 SF and, like the existing structure, offer program spaces to assist those in the community in need, while offering a greater variety of programs. Demolition of the existing annex is proposed to occur immediately prior to construction. In other words, the site will not sit vacant after the existing annex building is demolished,” the New Bethany proposal says.
New Bethany was started in the early 1980s as an interfaith ministry to relieve poverty in south Bethlehem, according to its website. At that time, Bethlehem Steel Corp. was cutting back, leading to difficult times for many southside residents.
The City of Bethlehem’s Historic Conservation Commission will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 18, at Town Hall. See this link for the agenda and the YouTube broadcast of the meeting.
Agendas are subject to change. Check the city website closer to the meeting date.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 