City outlines funding and next steps for shelters and South Bethlehem Community Center in capital plan

(Note: The transcript contains minor typographical name variations; the project site is described as a Mechanic Street parking lot in the feasibility study.)

City staff described three community and economic development projects included in the 2026'2030 capital plan: a non-congregate family shelter at Packer Avenue in partnership with Lehigh Conference of Churches, a congregate emergency shelter in partnership with Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering (BES) at Christchurch UCC, and a proposed South Bethlehem Community Center sited on a Mechanic Street parking lot identified in a feasibility study.

Laura Collins, representing the Department of Community and Economic Development, said the Packer Avenue family shelter is funded using the city's HOME-ARP allocation and an additional HOME-ARP allocation through the state; the city is completing required environmental review and preparing an RFP for final design and engineering with construction work anticipated to begin in 2026. For the congregate emergency shelter at Christchurch UCC, Collins said the administration intends to reallocate roughly $2,000,000 previously in the general civic expense account to the project and that Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering and partners continue fundraising; pending RCAP and LSA grant applications were noted as part of the financing strategy.

Regarding the South Bethlehem Community Center, Collins said a feasibility study has selected a preferred site (a Mechanic Street parking lot owned by the parking authority) and that the city has issued an RFP for a preferred operator; responses are due at the end of the month. Collins emphasized the need for fundraising and for negotiations on the operating model; city staff said they anticipate city dollars will be part of project funding but the final structure and timeline depend on the preferred operator and capital campaign results.

Council members asked about community feedback on the preferred Mechanic Street site; Collins said the feasibility study included a comprehensive community engagement process and a stakeholder committee, and that while not everyone will agree on a single site the study recommended this location based on feasibility criteria. One council member raised concerns about the capacity of nonprofit partners to shoulder funding gaps and the general strain from grant availability and fundraising uncertainty.

These projects were presented for informational review and will proceed through required procurement, environmental reviews and budget approvals. No votes occurred at the Committee of the Whole.