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(rshsdepot) Bethlehem, PA
From the Lehigh Valley, PA Morning Call:
http://www=2Emcall=2Ecom/news/local/all-b3_4unionaug22=2Estory=20
From The Morning Call=20
Union Station on the operating table
South Bethlehem site will be renovated as medical building=2E
By Kathy Lauer-Williams
Of The Morning Call
August 22, 2002
As a child, Kenneth Kraft remembered sneaking into the cavernous Union
Station in south Bethlehem after it had shut down=2E
''It was grand,'' the Bethlehem house painter recalled=2E ''Before it fell=
apart, it was beautiful=2E''
Before that, he said his mother would ride the train from Union Station to=
Philadelphia for work every day=2E
But the years have not been kind to the vine-covered 24,000-square-foot
former train depot=2E
Diane Donaher, Bethlehem's deputy director of economic development, said
she remembers peeking in the building 10 years ago when the floors were
piled high with debris and birds nested in the rafters=2E
Now the former depot will get a new lease on life as a medical building fo=
r
St=2E Luke's Hospital in neighboring Fountain Hill=2E
''They've done an incredible job,'' Donaher said Wednesday as she looked
around the cleaned and secured building during a groundbreaking ceremony=2E=
Developer Lou Pektor of Ashley Development Corp=2E officially kicked off t=
he
$4=2E5 million renovation of the historic station, which has been vacant
since trains stopped running there in the 1970s=2E The restored station,
slated for completion in May 2003, will become the home for St=2E Luke's n=
ew
health and wellness center=2E
''This will be a great restoration to a landmark property,'' Donaher said=2E=
''This will really be the visual key for the area=2E''
Mayor Don Cunningham called the project ''long-awaited and much needed=2E'=
'
''This grand old train station sat vacant for 30 years and now we will
bring back the glory of the structure,'' Cunningham said=2E
He said the city has committed $350,000 to extend Brodhead Street to the
station and to provide water and sewer service for the project, and the
county has promised $700,000 for a public parking lot=2E
''There's $1=2E2 million of public money to bring this building back to
life,'' he said=2E
Inside the spacious depot, white glazed bricks line the halls and the
remnants of terrazzo tile are still apparent=2E Arrows on the wall still
direct long-gone travelers to eastbound trains=2E
Bob Martin, St=2E Luke's senior vice president for network development, sa=
id
10 years ago a contractor tore tile off the wall and took the roof down,
then abandoned the project=2E
''It sat that way for 10 years,'' Martin said=2E ''Now sifting through the=
rubble for artifacts and trying to put part of the tile back up=2E''
He said the main hall of the finished building will be dedicated to
railroad history and have a small museum=2E
Pektor said the biggest challenge has been restoring the structural
integrity of the building=2E
''It was in serious jeopardy, especially on the northwest corner where the=
water damage was very serious,'' Pektor said=2E ''Another year and it woul=
d
have started to collapse=2E''=20
Copyright =A9 2002, The Morning Call=20
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
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