Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority

What Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority does

The Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority (RDA) is a state-incorporated government agency created in 1953 under Pennsylvania Urban Redevelopment law, headquartered at 10 East Church Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It administers a portfolio of urban redevelopment programs including the Bethlehem Homebuyer Assistance Program (BHAP), which provides deferred payment loans of up to 10% of purchase price for first-time homebuyers earning at or below 80% of area median income; a Blight Remediation Program that certifies and acquires blighted properties under statutory authority; Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District management for the 125-acre former Bethlehem Steel site; a Qualified Developer Program accessed via RFP/RFQ; and the Steel Stacks Arts and Cultural Campus encompassing the Levitt Pavilion, Hoover-Mason Trestle, Bethlehem Landing Visitor Center, and public plazas. The authority serves three primary constituencies: low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers, owners of blighted properties requiring remediation, and private developers seeking TIF revenue assistance for mixed-use and residential projects. It does not develop proprietary technology; its operational backbone consists of blight certification workflows, RFP administration, and deferred payment loan servicing delivered through HUD-certified counselors and 20+ approved participating lenders.

The RDA's business model is government-based rather than commercial. Revenue flows primarily from TIF tax-increment capture across the BethWorks District (cooperatively administered since 2000 with the Bethlehem Area School District, City of Bethlehem, and County of Northampton), competitive grants from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (notably the Community Revitalization Fund Program, which awarded $800,000 in April 2025) and federal sources (Northern Border Regional Commission, $267,671 in August 2023), and property acquisition and disposition transactions. Notable funded initiatives include a $2.4 million mixed-use redevelopment at 401-403 and 405 E. 4th Street in South Bethlehem (combining affordable rental units with first-floor commercial space) and the 17,000-square-foot expansion of the Smithsonian-affiliated National Museum of Industrial History. Operations are overseen by a five-member volunteer board appointed by the Mayor of Bethlehem to six-year terms, with three full-time staff (Executive Director Sean Ziller, Administrative Coordinator Heather M. Bambu-Weiss, Solicitor Michael E. Riskin, Esq.). The Steel Stacks Campus has accumulated multiple national design recognitions, including the 2017 Rudy Bruner Award Gold Medal and the 2014 Urban Land Institute Global Award of Excellence.

Name

Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority

Legal name

Redevelopment Authority of the City of Bethlehem

Website

https://bethlehemrda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority is a Pennsylvania government agency founded in 1953 that administers urban redevelopment programs—including first-time homebuyer assistance, blight remediation, TIF district management, and cultural campus operations—serving Bethlehem residents, property owners, and private developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Redevelopment Authority

NAICS

Land Subdivision (23721), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Non-Operating Establishments (9995), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL), Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI), Facility Siting, Permitting & Land-Use Regulatory Compliance (Multi-media Permitting, Zoning/Entitlements Support) (EUAHABAH)

Keywords

• Urban redevelopment
• Blight remediation
• Affordable housing
• Tax increment financing
• Brownfield redevelopment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethlehem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) Revenues: The TIF District captures real estate tax dollars from increased property values within the district. Taxes in excess of the 2000 base year assessment are transferred to the RDA for public infrastructure improvements and development. This has been instrumental in redeveloping the former Bethlehem Steel brownfield site.
2. Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Grants: The RDA receives grant funding from PHFA's Community Revitalization Fund Program for blight remediation and affordable housing projects, such as the $800,000 awarded for the 4th Street mixed-use project.
3. TIF Revenue Assistance to Developers: The RDA provides TIF revenue financing assistance to private developers for public improvements at their project sites, such as the Five 10 Flats and NMIH expansion projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority (RDA) is a government redevelopment authority that administers blight remediation, affordable housing support, and the BethWorks Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District covering the former Bethlehem Steel brownfield in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Its principal sellable offerings include the Bethlehem Homebuyer Assistance Program (BHAP), a deferred payment loan program for first-time homebuyers; the Blight Remediation Program for vacant and deteriorated properties; TIF District Management financing public improvements; and the Qualified Developer Program partnering with private developers on redevelopment projects. The Authority also oversees physical venues within the Steel Stacks Arts and Cultural Campus, including the Bethlehem Landing Visitor Center, Levitt Pavilion, and Hoover-Mason Trestle.

Product overview

The Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority operates as a unified portfolio of government programs and public facilities rather than a single product. The core offerings include the Bethlehem Homebuyer Assistance Program (BHAP) for first-time homebuyers, the Blight Remediation Program for property reclamation, TIF District Management for financing redevelopment projects, and the Qualified Developer Program for partnering with developers. The Authority also manages the Steel Stacks Arts and Cultural Campus, which encompasses sub-products including Bethlehem Landing Visitor Center (a restored historic stock house), the Levitt Pavilion (concert venue), Hoover-Mason Trestle (linear park), and public plazas. Related initiatives include the NMIH Expansion (museum and artifact park) and Five 10 Flats (mixed-use development).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BethWorks TIF District: Tax Incremental Financing District created for redevelopment of the former Bethlehem Steel site in South Bethlehem.
• Bethlehem Homebuyer Assistance Program (BHAP)

Products and services

• Bethlehem Homebuyer Assistance Program (BHAP) A first-time homebuyer assistance program administered with HUD-certified housing counselors at Community Action Lehigh Valley, providing a deferred payment loan of up to 10% of the purchase price plus closing costs to eligible low- and moderate-income households (80% area median income or below). The loan forgives over a 10-year term with no monthly payments required; applicants contribute at least $1,000 and pay a $275 non-refundable counseling fee.
• Blight Remediation Program A government program that identifies and remediates vacant and blighted properties within the City of Bethlehem. Working with the City's Department of Community and Economic Development, the RDA participates in the blight certification process led by the City Planning Commission and Blighted Property Review Committee, then transitions certified properties to qualified developers for rehabilitation, with the potential for condemnation under Pennsylvania Urban Redevelopment Law.
• BethWorks TIF District Management Administration of the BethWorks Tax Incremental Financing District covering the former Bethlehem Steel brownfield in South Bethlehem. Established in 2000 with three cooperating taxing bodies (Bethlehem Area School District, City of Bethlehem, County of Northampton), the district captures incremental real estate taxes above the 2000 base year assessment and reinvests them in public infrastructure, environmental remediation, and developer financing assistance for qualifying redevelopment projects.
• Qualified Developer Program A program that admits private developers to a Qualified Developer pool via Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and engages them through Request for Proposals (RFP) to undertake blight remediation and redevelopment projects within Bethlehem, including TIF-financed public improvements at qualifying sites.
• Steel Stacks Arts and Cultural Campus An arts and culture campus on the redeveloped former Bethlehem Steel site featuring the Levitt Pavilion, Bethlehem Landing Visitor Center, Hoover-Mason Trestle linear park, public plazas, and event programming. The campus has earned national recognition including the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (Gold Medal, 2017), ULI Global Award of Excellence (2014), and multiple AIA and Engineering News-Record awards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Redeveloped 125-acre former Bethlehem Steel site into active arts and cultural campus
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Community Action Lehigh Valley (CALV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCALV partners with the City of Bethlehem and RDA on the Bethlehem Homebuyer Assistance Program (BHAP), coordinating HUD-certified housing counseling and first-time homebuyer seminars. CALV also houses Community Action Development Bethlehem (CADB) which works on Southside neighborhood revitalization.
• Bethlehem Area School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Bethlehem TIF District since 2000, agreeing to dedicate a portion of real estate taxes from TIF District parcels to public development. One of three local taxing bodies cooperating on the redevelopment of the former Bethlehem Steel site.
• County of NorthamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Bethlehem TIF District since 2000, agreeing to dedicate a portion of real estate taxes from TIF District parcels to public development. One of three local taxing bodies cooperating on the redevelopment of the former Bethlehem Steel site.
• City of Bethlehem Department of Community and Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in identifying properties requiring substantial rehabilitation and working with the RDA on blight remediation projects. The City Planning Commission and Blighted Property Review Committee certify blighted properties.
• Peron Development (Five 10 Flats)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrivate developer of Five 10 Flats, a mixed-use upscale apartment complex at 510 East Third Street within the Bethlehem Works TIF District. Received TIF revenue financing assistance for environmental remediation at the project site.
• National Museum of Industrial History (NMIH)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSmithsonian-affiliated museum that received TIF revenue financing assistance for its expansion, including outdoor demonstration area, Artifact Park, and relocation of the Steelworkers Veterans Memorial. NMIH showcases industrial artifacts from Bethlehem Steel.
• The Reinvestment GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed a blight study for the Bethlehem RDA and City of Bethlehem, evaluating existing tools and methods used to address blight and providing recommendations for improving and expanding blight remediation efforts.
• Senator Lisa BoscolasupportingOthersLocal legislator supporting RDA blight remediation and revitalization efforts, acknowledged in PHFA funding announcement.
• Representative Nate SamuelsonsupportingOthersLocal legislator supporting RDA blight remediation and revitalization efforts, acknowledged in PHFA funding announcement.
• Approved Participating Lenders (20+ banks and mortgage companies)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLenders including American Bank, Cross Country Mortgage, Firstrust Bank, PNC Bank, QNB Bank, TD Bank, and others approved to participate in the BHAP program, facilitating first-time homebuyer financing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh: Pennsylvania municipal redevelopment authority administering TIF, brownfield remediation, housing programs, and developer partnerships comparable to Bethlehem RDA's portfolio of activities.
• Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority: Pennsylvania municipal redevelopment authority with blight certification, land assembly, and affordable housing development functions analogous to Bethlehem RDA, operating at larger scale within Philadelphia.
• Allentown Redevelopment Authority: Neighboring Lehigh Valley redevelopment authority with overlapping third-class city charter, brownfield redevelopment experience, and similar Pennsylvania Urban Redevelopment Law statutory powers.

Others

• Smart Growth America: Coalition promoting urban redevelopment, brownfield reuse, and transit-oriented development aligned with the urban infill and brownfield redevelopment strategies employed by Bethlehem RDA.
• National Development Council: National nonprofit providing financing and capacity-building support to redevelopment authorities and municipalities for affordable housing and community development projects analogous to Bethlehem RDA's mission.
• Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA): State-level funding agency that has awarded grants to Bethlehem RDA, administering the Community Revitalization Fund Program and Mixed-Use Development Tax Credits that fund RDA redevelopment projects.

Regional players

• Lancaster City Redevelopment Authority: Pennsylvania third-class city redevelopment authority with similar affordable housing, blight remediation, and historic preservation redevelopment focus, operating in a different regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Bethlehem Housing Authority: Local public housing authority serving the same Bethlehem geography with overlapping affordable housing mission, providing direct HUD-funded housing assistance and public housing operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4HYHr4C6mVbfhRXhWYXaJw
• Facebookfacebook.com/wix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wix.com

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority