Bethlehem Steel Structural
Products/ISG Tecumseh
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
The Road to Reuse
Located on the south side of Bethlehem,
Bethlehem Steel Corporation's plant (BSC)
operated from the 1880s until March
1998, when operations at the 1,600-acre
site closed. Operations onsite consisted
of a coke plant, steel making, finishing
and forging operations and a chemical
plant. Initially, the Bethlehem Steel
Plant produced rails for the expanding
railroad industry. Eventually, it became
one of the leading suppliers of steel to the
construction industry. The facility also
provided steel for the army during both
World Wars and was responsible for the
construction of several skyscrapers located
in New York City during the 1940s.
To support the cleanup of the site, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (PADEP), and
the developers formed a team to ensure
that cleanup would meet the needs of all
partners. The redevelopment plans hinged
on the developers receiving a release from
liability under the Pennsylvania Act 2
Land Recycling Program.
BSC designed a redevelopment plan
to bring investment back to South
Bethlehem, which was in an economic
slump since the 1970s. In May 2003,
Bethlehem Steel was sold to ISG/
Tecumseh Redevelopment (now Mittal

M,
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Approximate total acres and
current use
Approximate Acres in Reuse: 1,800
Current Use: Casino, community
center, commerce center,
warehouse, distribution center
Steel), as an outcome of the bankruptcy
proceedings. The site was partitioned into
two separate areas for redevelopment:
Bethlehem Works and Bethlehem
Commerce Center. BethWorks Now
purchased 163 acres from Tecmuseh
Redevelopment. In May 2004, 1,000
acres of Bethlehem Commerce Center
was sold to Lehigh Valley Industrial Park
(LVTP), a local redevelopment firm,
the owner of several industrial parks.
Another redeveloper, Majestic Realty Co.,
purchased 450 acres from Tecumseh in
2007 to be used as warehousing.
Bethlehem Works, a 163-acre endeavor,
is to become the Riverfront Renaissance
District in Bethlehem. This is an $893
million project which to date includes
the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem,
an ice skating center, and technology
learning centers. Also planned are a
hotel, performance centers for the public
arts, multiplex movie theater, and other
entertainment and retail establishments.
A cornerstone is the National Museum
of Industrial History, the first museum in
the Smithsonian Institution's Affiliation
Program. Nearly 100j of the Smithsonian's
industrial artifacts from the mid-nineteenth
century are on loan to the museum.
Fundraising for the museum is on-going.
Bethlehem Commerce Center's 1,600
acres are intended for industrial and
«;
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EPA
(215)
commercial investment. To date, a number
of industrial/commercial concerns have
located on the property. Conectiv Energy
has opened a 1,100 MW clean burning
power plant. This project represents
nearly a $600 million investment. A $14
million intermodal terminal opened in
2006 on 100 acres Bethlntermodal is a
six-track transfer station for rail-to-truck
and vice-versa shipping. This short line
railroad, managed by Lehigh Valley Rail
Management, has direct access to a major
Norfolk Southern railroad and moves
more than 80,000 containers annually.
Additionally, enterprises have opened
representing warehousing, storage, office
space, layout yards and light industry.
Majestic Realty Company purchase 450
acres in 2007 for warehousing. These
buildings are in the design/construction
phase. To reach this property and other
areas further away from the primary
roads, Commerce Center Boulevard, a
4200-ft long, 4-lane road designed for
truck traffic was opened in 2005. This is
a $11 million newly constructed road was
funded by Northampton County. A 110-
acre Greenway, an open space/educational
project is in the planning stages. Several
federal, state, and local agencies have
joined the developers in this venture.
Additional redevelopment projects continue
to emerge on this former steel site - helping
to transform Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
For More Information
Region 3 Contact: Linda Matyskiela,

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