Bethlehem’s Historic Conservation Commission has approved plans to demolish a deteriorating portion of the New Bethany Annex and replace it with a larger, modern building to better serve the organization’s clients.
Commissioners endorsed a proposal for a 13,925-square-foot, four-story addition on the property between Wyandotte and South Fourth Street, replacing a 5,500-square-foot, three-story structure along West Fourth St. that was built between 1920 and 1930.
The existing building has been deemed to lack historical integrity and can no longer meet accessibility standards. Its dormitory-style rooms are not suited for family living, and its ground-floor common spaces fall short of the organization’s programmatic needs, according to a narrative of proposed work submitted to the commission…