Fourteen Lehigh Valley development projects, including offices, retail, housing, education, and government, were recognized recently at the Lehigh Valley Business Real Estate & Development Summit.
Held on March 6 at DeSales University, the sold-out event brought together 275 professionals in real estate, development, economic development, and related fields. 
Receiving Top Projects Awards were:
1010 Apartments, Allentown, City Center Group: 125-unit, four-story walkup building with studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments. Includes resident lounge with a coffee bar and fireplace and a courtyard with firepits, grilling station, yard games, and dog park.
505-507 Northampton, Easton, Post Road Management: Restoration and renovation of blighted vacant property into apartments above storefronts. Includes new energy efficient heating and cooling systems, lighting, water fixtures, and appliances.
615 Waterfront, Allentown, The Waterfront Development Co.: 120,000-square-foot Class A office and retail space revitalizing a former industrial property along the Lehigh River. First building of a multi-building residential, retail, and office community.
Cantelmi E-Commerce, Bethlehem, Patrick Cantelmi: Two-story distribution center for Cantelmi Hardware constructed on a tight urban site and designed to mesh with the aesthetic nature of downtown Bethlehem.
Cooper Center Renovation, Nazareth, Morningstar Living: Multi-purpose event and activity space constructed on the site of a former underutilized and dilapidated barn, to expand community gathering space for Heritage Village 55+ community.
Fahy Commons, Allentown, Muhlenberg College: Sustainably constructed new facility for various college departments. Certified LEED Platinum; one of the first buildings in the world pursuing LBC Core Green Building Certification; and pursuing Passive House certification.
First Keystone Community Bank, Bethlehem: Renovation of 1950s former bank building into a modern, full-service, customer-focused branch that pays homage to the building’s history.
HangDog Outdoor Adventure, Williams Township, Mike McCreary: Largest outdoor adventure course in the Northeast consisting of eight recycled shipping containers used for harness staging, retail, restroom, and bar operations. Includes venue for live music and a beer garden that welcomes leashed dogs.
Historic Lehigh County Courthouse, Allentown, Lehigh County: Restoration of 1817 stone building to reconfigure layouts to maximize space and update HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems while maintaining the historic integrity.
Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School, Bethlehem: Fully adaptive reuse project reimagining a former corporate headquarters into an innovative new school for 1,900 K-12 students. Includes 121 classrooms, two cafeterias, new kitchen, drama room, nurse and guidance suites, and administrative space.
LNAA Security Checkpoint Improvements, Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority: 34,500-square-foot expansion of Lehigh Valley International Airport that includes a multi-tiered space for TSA security screenings; building for circulating passengers effectively over three levels; remodeled restrooms; and renovation of a tunnel to create a secure passenger exit.
Shift4 Center Valley, Upper Saucon Township, Shift4: State-of-the-art office consisting of a 75,000-square-foot renovation of the first and second floors of a three-story building to optimize space utilization and create a conducive environment for more than 400 employees.
The Hive, Allentown, City Center Group: 258-unit apartment community with retail space. Includes a resident lounge with coffee bar, club room with wet bar, 24/7 fitness center, co-working space, and two private conference rooms. Outdoor spaces include courtyards with firepits, grills, and yard games, and a dog park with outdoor seating.
The Wilbur Mansion, Bethlehem, John and Lynn Noble: Renovation of the 1865 mansion of Lehigh Valley railroad magnate Elijah Packer Wilbur into a nine-room boutique hotel, event center, and restaurant.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the Lehigh Valley Business Real Estate & Development Summit included a keynote address by Dr. Kamran Afshar, president of Kamran Afshar Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in data analytics, market research, customer satisfaction surveys, and economic analysis. He shared data and projections about the Lehigh Valley and national economies.
A panel discussion addressed the adaptive reuse of properties and how the repurposing of real estate could stimulate the market by lowering prices and increasing inventory.
The panel was moderated by Becky Bradley, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. Panelists were Kevin Campbell, President and CEO of Barry Isett & Associates; Doug Frederick, Broker/Owner of Howard Hanna The Frederick Group; and Zachary Jaindl, President, COO, and Co-Founder of Jaindl Enterprises.
Photo credits: (Top) The Hive and The Waterfront, photos courtesy of City Center Group and The Waterfront Development Co. (Bottom) Panel discussion, courtesy of J & A Photography