BETHLEHEM, Pa. — About 400 people attended Mayor J. William Reynolds’ State of the City address Thursday, the event’s largest crowd ever.
Speaking at the Musikfest Cafe at the ArtsQuest Center, the mayor said that turnout, in concert with the efforts of previous and current administrations, represented a broader theme of “building Bethlehem together.”
Reflecting on the past year, Reynolds and a number of other city staff touted support from the area’s public and private sectors that helped make 2024 a success.
They cited Bethlehem’s high quality of life, top-notch workers and talent, economic growth, world-class universities and proper entrepreneurial opportunities at hand.
City officials said the past four years have seen private-sector investment of $1.1 billion.
“In a world where you look around, you look to Washington, you look to other places — there’s so much instability. Here in Bethlehem, we have our act together.”Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
Bethlehem also is “aggressively” paying $11 million a year toward its debt service and will have it down to $56 million in 2028, officials said.
That’s down from the nearly $118 million figure the city faced a decade ago.
“In a world where you look around, you look to Washington, you look to other places — there’s so much instability,” Reynolds said. “Here in Bethlehem, we have our act together.”
Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Tony Iannelli said, “I think from a chairman’s perspective, we want to keep being the best community for all of you.
"Supporting our cities the best we can and also throw as much love out there, that we all need right now, as possible.”
A busy year
Bethlehem Community and Economic Development Director Laura Collins said of the Christmas City, “There’s nowhere that is quite as comprehensive in this combination of charm, economic opportunity and overall quality of life.”
With a Livability.com Top-100 ranking for best places to live around the nation, and a bid for the best Main Street in the nation according to U.S. Today's 10Best, many say Bethlehem is the place to be.
Here’s part of why local officials say that’s the case:
- From 2008 to 2024, the number of jobs in the city grew from 28,323 to 41,789.
- Numerous new housing developments, including Six10 Flats, Taylor Flats and the Dream Boyd Theatre.
- Commercial and industrial development in Lehigh Valley Health Network’s two new medical office buildings at former Martin Tower site, a major expansion for Phoenix Tube and repurposing of the Steel General Office East Annex to come.
- Plans approved for the city’s first Hilton-brand hotel and Banana Factory’s replacement facility going up just across Third Street.
- German pharmaceutical manufacturer GfM Bremen to set up shop at former IQE site at Technology Drive.
- $93 million award under the CHIPS and Science Act to support Infinera’s new semiconductor facility in South Bethlehem.
Public safety
Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott said her department has seen a decrease in both violent and property crimes, which she said was a direct result of proactive policing, community engagement and strategic partnerships with local groups.
The department has replaced its former body-worn cameras, implemented automated license plate readers in key areas of the city and invested in training to equip officers with proper skills to respond to mental health crises, domestic violence or other public-safety scenarios.
“Looking ahead, our focus remains on strengthening partnerships, expanding in the engagement and ensuring the safety and well-being of every member of our great city."Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott
“Looking ahead, our focus remains on strengthening partnerships, expanding in the engagement and ensuring the safety and well-being of every member of our great city,” Kott said.
Her “partner in crime,” Fire Chief Michael Reich, said the city’s fire and EMS departments are “stronger and more efficient than ever.”
Reich said the city’s support of adding four new paramedics to the ranks and the department’s slashing of mutual-aid reliance by 20% have helped crews get response time down by a minute.
Along with that, $1.9 million in city support will go to modernize the department’s fleet, including buying two new ambulances, a rescue engine, an EMS supervisor vehicle (already in service) and a water-rescue boat to be delivered this month.
It’s also the first time in nearly three decades, he said, that the department sent two classes of recruits to the fire academy in one year. The same is planned for next year, he said.
Housing
“Investing in keeping people housed through mediation, rental assistance and legal support prevent costly evictions which displace families and increase costs for small landlords,” Deputy Director of Community Development Sara Satullo said.
Some of the relevant news and services involved include:
- “Opening Doors: Strategies to Build Housing Stability” released to the public and discussed
- Bethlehem gets $500,000 grant to plan overhaul of Stefko-Pembroke neighborhood
- 120-unit mixed-income housing development, with two-thirds of the units deemed affordable, starting as low as $369 per month depending on household income; Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley will offer its services on site
- Decoding a lease’s legalese with help of Community Action Development Bethlehem
- City-funded rental assistance through New Bethany Ministries
- North Penn Legal Services provides access to legal counsel in local eviction cases
Roadway, pedestrian safety
“It’s great to pave roads, but that’s putting a Band-aid on the problem,” Reynolds said. “We need to increase the way that we are able to move around the city.”
Pedestrian and bicycle safety, improved greenspaces and community-gathering areas — here’s what the city has been up to:
- Bringing bike culture to the heart of the city, Coalition for Appropriate Transportation expanding with new bicycle cooperative at the updated Walnut Street Garage.
- Broad Street improvements along the eastern and western ends of the thoroughfare.
- The city bought the last section of the South Bethlehem Greenway that will eventually connect the path with the Saucon Rail Trail.
- Released 40 in 10 Parks plan — first project will bring major improvements to Center City’s Friendship Park.
- Studying feasibility of new Southside community center that fronts along the South Bethlehem Greenway.
An international name
Bethlehem has even been on the national and world stage or a time or two in the past year, and tourism is on the rise.
Officials reportedly set the bar high with its World Heritage application for the nation’s newest World Heritage site and the first transnational site in the country, Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem.
“The director of World Heritage recognizes our study as a model for other potential transnational sites worldwide," World Heritage Coordinator Stephanie Augello said.
"Because it stands as a testament to what countries can achieve in cooperation, peace and friendship and honor and culture and community."
Main Street's Hotel Bethlehem was voted as the nation's top historic hotel for the fourth year in a row.
And Bethlehem approved its sister-city agreement with Patillas, Puerto Rico — its sixth sister city.
