Bethlehem police chief warns: Martin Tower debris pile is ‘not a playground for souvenir hunters’

A day after Martin Tower was imploded, Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DiLuzio warned the site “is not a playground for souvenir hunters.”The tangled remnants of what was once Bethlehem Steel’s world headquarters is behind a chained-linked fence on private property where there is an active construction site. Those who do could be injured or face trespassing and other criminal charges.“Do not trespass to try to get a piece of the pile. By removing a small piece, you may unknowingly make a bigger piece of something shift and you may get hurt,” DiLuzio said in a statement. “I do not want to see anyone get hurt, especially any of my officers or rescue personnel who have to go in there to get you out.”People take pictures of the remains of the Martin Tower building Sunday after the implosion. (Jen Sheehan/)The statement comes a day after thousands gathered across the city to watch the 21-story skyscraper disappear from the city skyline in a matter of 14 seconds. The crowd was ripe with emotion, with some glad to see the idle, corporate offices go and other disheartened to see a piece of history disappear.After the roads were reopened, the people came to view the spectacle of nearly 16,000 tons of structural steel and 6,500 cubic yards of concrete piled at 1170 Eighth Ave. Contractors expect the cleanup of the rubble to take six months to a year.The 53-acre property is to become a mixed use project that will include 528 garden style apartments, a 132-room hotel, three office buildings, retail stores and a gas station with a convenience store.Raw video: An up-close aerial view of the Martin Tower implosion (Video by Lehigh Valley Drone)Many came out to watch the Martin Tower implosion from the lookout on Lehigh University’s Mountaintop campus Sunday, May 19, 2019. (Rick Kintzel/)
Source: Morningcall