Truce reached for now in feud over sale, demolition of Allentown State Hospital

Allentown developer Nat Hyman has withdrawn his demand for an immediate court order against the sale and demolition of Allentown State Hospital, and in return state authorities have agreed to notify him ahead of any action on either front.That’s the gist of a three-page stipulation filed Thursday afternoon in Commonwealth Court.A court hearing on his request for an injunction halting any demolition plans had been set for next Thursday, May 30. That’s now postponed.According to the stipulation, the Pennsylvania Department of General Services agrees to give Hyman at least 30 days’ notice before it enters into an agreement of sale of the Allentown State Hospital or an agreement for the demolition of some or all of its buildings.If the department decides to request bids from demolition contractors, it must notify Hyman the same day.Hyman, in turn, has agreed to withdraw his motion for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the state from demolishing any of the state hospital buildings.A judge must still approve the agreement.Hyman’s suit, filed last month, followed his offer in February to purchase the nearly 200-acre property and preserve all of its buildings. It comes nearly a decade after the hospital closed in 2010.READ: Nat Hyman’s lawsuit to stop demolition of former Allentown State HospitalThe state owns the property, 1600 Hanover Ave., and in 2017 the Legislature authorized the Department of General Services to sell it to TCA Properties of Doylestown at fair market value. Negotiations between the state and TCA have been ongoing since then, with no agreement of sale yet.According to Thursday’s stipulation, the Department of General Services is “not moving forward at the present time with a sale of the Allentown State Hospital or demolition of the buildings located at the State Hospital.”A department spokesman was not immediately available to clarify whether negotiations with TCA remain ongoing.In November, the Department of General Services sought bids to demolish the buildings for at least $15 million. The deadline for bids was April 1.While he’s withdrawing the injunction request, Hyman said he is continuing on with his lawsuit before Commonwealth Court seeking to permanently bar the demolition of the state hospital buildings.The hospital, which features a main building constructed in 1904, has cost taxpayers $2.2 million annually in maintenance since its closure.Preservationists point to historic value, architectural beauty and potential repurposing in their effort to save the property from demolition. More than 5,300 people have signed an online petition to preserve the buildings.Morning Call reporter Andrew Wagaman can be reached at 610-820-6764 or awagaman@mcall.com
Source: Morningcall