Old Chromium Factory: What Should Replace It?
This brick building at 320 Front St., Hellertown, dates from the 1850s. Its proximity to the Saucon Rail Trail has made it an attractive candidate for adaptive reuse, officials have said. Tell us your ideas in the comments below.
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An old chromium factory at 320 Front St., Hellertown, has been the subject of conversations about adaptive reuse. Although the building has been damaged by fire over the years, its location next to the Saucon Rail Trail makes it appealing for redevelopment.
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Angie Drake
9:19 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013
I think it would make a beautiful mini mall for selling hand made art and crafts items. Several shops would fit into this large brick structure which could be rehabilitated to become a handsome setting for selling artisan made objects. People would come to Hellertown to shop there bringing more business to our community. Why should Bethlehem have all the quaint and attractive shops?
Bob Linney
5:41 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013
"Chromium" is a "heavy metal" which is a huge enviromental hazard. When you include the word "Old" I would assume that means decades before the EPA. That is likely why the building is of limited use.
Hugh Gallagher
1:55 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
It was a commercial/industrial chrome-plating operation. Along with the chromium itself, there were many nasty acids/chemicals used in the plating process. Over the years, as the plating process came under scrutiny, the resulting rules by government agencies made it difficult to remain in business. Without knowing what cleanup was mandated or how much was done, would make for an ignorant, inaccurate guess about its future . It certainly won't be a day care center.
Paula
8:48 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
I agree with Angie, a mall for selling hand made products sounds interesting. :)
Angie Drake
8:55 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
I am sure any reuse of the site would need cleanup and perhaps the actual structure is not salvagable. I was not aware that this question for comment meant that I should have knowledge of the complexities of it's prior usage, of the clean up processes that might be necessar or whether it was indeed a building that could not be re-used. I do not think it is appropriate to label my suggestion as "an ignorant inaccurate guess"...
Hugh Gallagher
11:32 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Angie I didn't make a judgement about you personally. It looks like you were led down the road of "missing information". . Somebody showed you a picture that looks appealing without the warning that should accompany it. Had I not actually been in that building when it was operational, I could have made the same assessment.
Bob Linney
1:21 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Angie, I agree with you that it is a quait building with a lot of character. I love old structures and in fact I've lived in the 1853 James Apple farm house for the last 35 years (so the name Apple St). I saved the house, barn, summer kitchen and hog shed from the recking ball by paying the seller's asking price. A contractor was planning on putting up 6 or more house on the 2+ acres, but instead I spent over half my life, along with intold hours and money, to rescue and preserve the property. From a dollars and "sense" standpoint I might be a fool, but if you love history, I am a lucky man to be able to conserve and to live in a bit of Hellertown's past.
If you or someone else is of a similar frame of mind, the "Old Chromium Factory" might be something to look into. Just make sure this is done with your eyes wide open.
Angie Drake
12:40 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Perhaps I was lead down the path of missing information. Patch asked a question on how best to repurpose an old factory property. Patch did not give any info to lead me to suppose the structure itself would be unfit for re-habitation or usage. If I had known that I certainly wouldn't have made my particular suggestion. I don't consider myself "ignorant" but I don't particularly know much about how chemically poluted structures should be re-purposed in a safe manner. I think that would be an entirely different question for discussion...
Hugh Gallagher
12:47 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
I am genuinely sorry that you were offended by my comment. I didn't think in any way that are ignorant. The criticism was meant for the missing information. I certainly could have done a better job wording it.
Angie Drake
1:01 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Apology accepted Hugh. I am wondering now what would be best to place there if the structure must be removed and it becomes a space for something new to be built there after the appropriate remediation of polluted objects/soil... Of course, not a day care center as you say or restaurant to eat at.... A parking lot?
Josh Popichak
1:24 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Ideas for adaptive reuse of this building were discussed at an EPA workshop held in Hellertown in 2011. (I apologize for not including the link with this story.) Here's a quote: "Adaptive reuse ideas for the chromium site included a conversion to loft apartments on the second story and the development of an eco-friendly cafe with outdoor seating on the ground floor, with a possible conversion to additional retail or business use on the first floor." If reuse were out of the question due to environmental concerns, I doubt the chromium factory building would have been one of three that the two-day workshop was focused upon. The other two buildings were the former Champion spark plug factory (a Superfund site) and The Movies. Here's the link to the article about the EPA workshop: http://patch.com/A-jSTp
Angie Drake
2:37 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Thank you Josh for the clarification. I still think the first floor would make a great place for crafty or artsy shops if it can be converted after any environmental concerns were dealt with and the second floor could be an interesting small museum on local industry. Or the other way around with museum on street level... I am not sure I would want to live there but retail usage for small shops with some historical use as a museum would certainly not go amiss in our town.
Bob Linney
7:38 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Angie, you should check out the Hellertown Historical Society. We have an array of historical items of local significance that are housed in a 200 year-old gristmill. It is located on 150 West Walnut St. (www.hellertownhistoricalsociety.org).
What Hellertown does need is a year-round location for the SV Farmer's Market and the first floor might be an ideal place for it. Then you could have apartments on the second floor without the detraction of having a "noisy business" on the ground floor.
Richard Coleman
6:12 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
The worst chromium form is chromium +6, which is unstable and breaks down into the much more stable Cr+3. Chromium +6 is what Erin Brockovich has had her ___ in a wringer about for so many years.
Dennis Scholl
7:34 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
I'm not a chemist, but I am a lover of history and historic preservation. Instead of finding reasons to tear the building down, figuratively and literally, why not find a proper use that preserves its integrity, regardless of its original purpose. I've known that building since I was a kid - I'm now 61 - and it has withstood at least one fire and lots of thrown rocks. I'd be delighted to serve on a committee to determine its re-use if such a committee materializes.