Bethlehem’s Hoover-Mason Trestle was one of eight winners at the Urban Land Institute Philadelphia’s 3rd Annual Willard G. “Bill” Rouse III Awards for Excellence Wednesday night.
It was chosen out of 15 finalists for the honor.
Completed last fall, the $15.4 million Hoover-Mason Trestle is a one-third mile long elevated walkway that links South Side Bethlehem properties such as the Sands Casino Resort-Bethlehem and SteelStacks.
The trestle was developed by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Bethlehem and designed by Wallace Roberts & Todd.
In a release announcing the honor, the ULI said the adaptive reuse project has been a catalyst for economic development and growth through its engagement with the community, including its connection to the adjacent and award winning SteelStacks Arts and Cultural Campus, as well as its ability to capture Bethlehem’s steel heritage.
The jury said it appreciated the trestle’s strong industrial contextual design and execution, a focus on the outdoors, celebration of history, and a complex integration of funding sources.
The Awards for Excellence recognizes the best real estate projects completed within the last five years in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware.
The winning projects – which represent a variety of types, including urban mixed-use, historic preservation, adaptive reuse, multipurpose entertainment, and institutional projects.
The Lehigh Valley has been recognized in all three years the awards have been held.
Last year, the Allentown Arena Complex was one of seven winners of the award out of 15 nominated projects.
In 2014 the SteelStacks arts and cultural campus was recognized with the award. That project went on to become one of 13 real estate developments from around the world selected as winners in the 2014 Urban Land Institute Global Awards of Excellence.
