BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Valley Academy, a regional charter school now located in Hanover Township, Northampton County, is nearly set to move into its new “forever home” in Bethlehem at the former FLSmidth office building.
A crowd of staff, students and those connected to the school gathered to celebrate the in-progress renovation and to break ground on a new gymnasium, external to the established building.
- Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School celebrated the groundbreaking of the new gymnasium while celebrating the in-progress renovation of the school's new location
- The new building, formerly the FLSmidth office building in Bethlehem, eliminates space and rent concerns for the organization
- It will let the charter school, which now has more than 1,800 students, participate in more athletic opportunities
The 216,000-square-foot building now is owned by the charter school after FLSmidth left the property earlier this year.
Construction is starting on the 25,000-foot gymnasium, in addition to renovation, adding walls to classrooms and other specifications to turn the open-floor-plan office into an educational center.
The school will spend $65 million to buy the building, do renovations and add the gym, officials said.
The building change increases the school's educational space from the prior location more than 70,000 square feet, according to Susan Mauser, the school's chief executive officer.
It will feature two lobbies, one for kindergarten through 5th grade, and another for older students.
“After 20 years with limited gym facilities, LVA will finally be able to offer the students some of the athletic programs that they've been looking for,” Mauser said. “I can't wait to see what the next few years will bring.”
Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School began in 2000, and now has more than 1,800 active students in grades K-12, with nearly 300 employees, according to the school.
Mauser said the school owning its own building also will eliminate worry about annual rent increases.
Move-in plans are set for the office building following continued renovations by next summer, in time for the next school year. The lease on the current location expires Aug. 31, 2023.
The new location is just less than a mile from the charter school’s current location on Valley Center Parkway, and school officials and students said the new location will remove the concerns about space at the current location.
Architecture was handled by Bethlehem company Alloy5, while construction was managed by Allentown company Alvin H. Butz, with other companies in and near the Lehigh Valley tackling other aspects of the renovation.
Representatives from Alvin H. Butz said renovation is about 40% complete.
Emphasis at Thursday's event was on what the expansion will let the school do, such as having a more integrated IB curriculum for all K-12 grade levels, while supporting new athletic programs.
The school offers the rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum for all grade levels. School officials say it is the only fully authorized International Baccalaureate “World School” in Pennsylvania, and among only a few in the United States that offer the full curriculum K-12.
“This will allow us to really solidify our program, continue to develop the opportunities for our high school students and then also provide them with the athletics that they're looking for, in order to have the full life full high school experience,” Mauser said.
“After 20 years with limited gym facilities, LVA will finally be able to offer the students some of the athletic programs that they've been looking for.”Susan Mauser, Lehigh Valley Academy chief executive officer.
“A lot of people leave right before high school, because they want to get started in sports and give themselves more opportunities and LBA can’t fully give them that," student Jalinne Marquez said. “So now that we have the opportunity to give everybody that, it's just great to see for all the younger generations, and for us to experience.“
The project was financed through bond financing as a public school and a nonprofit organization, with a 35-year mortgage.
Charter schools in Pennsylvania are funded by taxpayers through students' resident school districts, but are privately run.
“When you're a choice school, when families choose you, then we have to make sure that we're continuously doing a good job,” Mauser said.
