Bethlehem`s City Revitalization and Improvement Zone Explored by

14C — April 10 -23, 2015 — Pennsylvania — Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
Commercial Real Estate Women
Lehigh Valley Chapter
www.crewlehighvalley.org
2015 Lehigh Valley
Board of Directors
President
Adrienne Kwiatek-Holub
National Penn Bank
President Elect
Pam Morris
Liberty Property Trust
Past President
Christa Kraftician, AIA,
LEED AP
Spillman Farmer Architects
Secretary
Marie McConnell
Fitzpatrick Lentz &,Bubba, PC
Corresponding Secretary
Pam Sullivan
Design Point, Inc.
Treasurer
Jennifer Keat
Tubiello-Harr & Assoc.
Directors at Large
Kelly Berfield, Esq.
The Dietrick Group
Tina Roseberry
SSM Group, Inc.
Commitee Chairs
& Co-Chairs
Membership
Betsy Shamberger
Moonstone environmental
Connie Hasara
Mohawk Group
Public Relations
Lisa Pektor
Bethlehem’s City Revitalization and Improvement
Zone Explored by CREW Lehigh Valley
B
ethlehem, PA —
On March 11, members
and guests of CREW
Lehigh Valley gathered at
Social Still Micro-Distillery
& Kitchen, Bethlehem’s firstcompleted project to benefit
from the City Revitalization
and Improvement Zone (CRIZ),
a tax incentive program aimed
at spurring economic development.
Passed by the Pennsylvania
Legislature in 2013, as part of
a much larger bill amending
the Tax Reform Code of 1971,
the CRIZ permitted third class
cities with populations of at
least 30,000 residents to apply
for one of two initial zones of no
more than 130 acres designated
by a local “contracting authority” for “economic development
and job creation.”
Alicia Karner, Bethlehem’s
Director of the Department of
Community and Economic Development, discussed the CRIZ
process and how developers
work within guidelines of the
program, whose objective is
putting vacant buildings back
on the tax rolls and growing
the local job base. Bethlehem
won CRIZ designation because
it could demonstrate 350-million-dollars’ worth of shovelready projects in 130-acres on
the city’s south side.
Social Still owners Elaine Pivitsky and Adam
Flatt with Alicia Karner, Bethlehem’s Dir. of
the Department of Community and Economic
Development
Karen & Ken Duerholz, with Boyle
Construction
Distillation of spirits
takes place on site.
The former Gozstonyi Savings and Trust Bank, a neoClassical revival structure
located at 532 E. Third St, has
been transformed into Social
Still Micro-Distillery & Kitchen
where hand-crafted spirits are
distilled on site and served with
small plates. Production takes
place in the basement. The
building features a mezzanine
for private parties. Social Still
is operated by Adam Flatt and
his mother, Elaine Pivitsky,
who founded Franklin Hills
Vineyards near Bangor, PA.
Franklin Hills wines are also
served at the restaurant and
available for sale at a retails
shop.
CREW member Karen
Duerholz, Director of Business Development for Boyle
Construction discussed the
progress of the construction
of the Hoover Mason Trestle,
an elevated pedestrian walkway based upon a former
Bethlehem Steel rail line that
the company is redeveloping
at the nearby SteelStacks
campus.
MKSD Architects, Allentown, a sponsor of CREW
Lehigh Valley, designed the
Social Still project. n
PennCAP Properties
SPONSORS
Spillman Farmer Architects
GOLD
Community Services
Sandra Kuhns
Liberty Property Trust • Spillman Farmer Architects • Fitzpatrick, Lentz & Bubba, LLC
PennCAP Properties • ServPro of Eason, Bethlehem & Whitehall • National Penn Bank
Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A.
Julie Saucier Profilet
K& H Custom Windows
Programs
Julie Macomb
Norris McLaughlin & Marcus
Foundation Champions
Kate Hart Zayaitz
National Penn Bank
PATRON
Boyle Construction Management • NAI Summit Management
Northstar Construction Management • Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
Ann Marie Osika
CONTRIBUTORS
Delegates
Pam Morris
Campbell Rappold & Yurasists ,LLP • Regan Levan Bloss Brown & Saychak PC
Lafayette Ambassador Bank • Buckno Lisicky & Co.
Environmental Consultation Services
Kristin Homes, PE
FRIENDS
Lafayette Ambassador Bank
Liberty Property Trust
HC Engineering, LLP
For membership
information contact:
[email protected]
The Dietrick Group • QNB Bank•Barry Isett & Associates, Inc.
The Frederick Group • First Trust Bank • JG Petrucci Co. • MKSD Architects
Feinberg Real Estate Advisors • HMK Insurance • Design Point