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Bethlehem officials celebrated the groundbreaking Friday for a new $15 million, 626-space parking deck, which Mayor Robert Donchez hailed as "a wonderful transformation that will help revitalize the South Side." The six-story parking garage is being built at New Street where it meets Graham Place and the South Bethlehem Greenway, and is scheduled for completion by next summer. "This is a long time coming," Donchez said. "As we all know, parking in south Bethlehem is very difficult. Just ask any merchant south of the Lehigh River. "Without adequate parking the prospects for economic development, in my opinion, in south Bethlehem are severely limited." Critics of the project, who continued to protest against it until City Council approved bond financing, argued that it is out of scale with the neighborhood, will increase traffic congestion, is an antiquated way of dealing with city transportation problems and too expensive. Critics also charged that the government-funded project is primarily for the benefit of one developer — Dennis Benner, who is building a $20 million, six-story mixed use office and retail building at the southwest corner of Third and New Streets and will have St. Luke's University Health Network and Lehigh University as anchor tenants. While Benner has said his project would not be possible without additional parking, Donchez asserts the additional parking capacity will help other nearby businesses and open up other development in the neighborhood. Bethlehem garage appeal tossed On Friday, he cited Lehigh's recently announced plans to add 1,800 students, open a new College of Health and build a new science and research center. After the groundbreaking, he predicted the new deck would have 400 of its 626 spaces fully leased within a year of opening. "I believe this parking facility, the Benner project and Greenway Commons is the beginning of a true renaissance in south Bethlehem," Donchez said. "The commitment to being anchor tenants in the Benner Building will bring much needed foot traffic to businesses in the area and will bring renewed interest and excitement to south Bethlehem." "I really believe that in five or 10 years, we will not recognize Third and Fourth streets." Lynn Cunningham, senior vice president of Bethlehem Initiatives for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Bethlehem Parking Authority, said the project would never have happened if not for Donchez's "dogged determination." the project adds to the Bethlehem Parking Authority's debt load and in anticipation of that, the authority increased daily and hourly parking rates early this year. In addition to bonds, which are being guaranteed by the city, the project is funded with $5.2 million in grants from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, said Kevin Livingston, the parking authority's executive director. RACP, which is administered by the state Office of the Budget, provides for the "acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects." "To me it matters economic-wise because I hear from residents, I talk to them, and they don't want come down here simply because they don't have a place to park," said state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, who helped to secure the grant funding. "Our business community benefits when we have parking." On Friday, he cited Lehigh's recently announced plans to add 1,800 students, open a new College of Health and build a new science and research center. After the groundbreaking, he predicted the new deck would have 400 of its 626 spaces fully leased within a year of opening. "I believe this parking facility, the Benner project and Greenway Commons is the beginning of a true renaissance in south Bethlehem," Donchez said. "The commitment to being anchor tenants in the Benner Building will bring much needed foot traffic to businesses in the area and will bring renewed interest and excitement to south Bethlehem." "I really believe that in five or 10 years, we will not recognize Third and Fourth streets." Lynn Cunningham, senior vice president of Bethlehem Initiatives for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Bethlehem Parking Authority, said the project would never have happened if not for Donchez's "dogged determination." the project adds to the Bethlehem Parking Authority's debt load and in anticipation of that, the authority increased daily and hourly parking rates early this year. In addition to bonds, which are being guaranteed by the city, the project is funded with $5.2 million in grants from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, said Kevin Livingston, the parking authority's executive director. RACP, which is administered by the state Office of the Budget, provides for the "acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects." "To me it matters economic-wise because I hear from residents, I talk to them, and they don't want come down here simply because they don't have a place to park," said state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, who helped to secure the grant funding. "Our business community benefits when we have parking." Read the original article here.