The National Guard Armory on 301 Prospect Ave. has been setting empty for some time in West Bethlehem.

The Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority on May 4 approved a resolution that authorized the authority, which is acting for the City of Bethlehem, to lease the armory and related property with an option to buy.

Not long ago it was the periodic scene of tears as soldiers and their families or girlfriends or boyfriends embraced saying their goodbyes. Now it stands empty.

Old sport or achievement trophies are still on shelves near the front door, gathering dust.

When looking through the front door windows, it looks like a huge apartment quickly abandoned.

Tony Hanna, executive director of the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority (BRA), said, "We are excited about working with the city and the commonwealth on leasing this building with the intention to purchase, preserve and redevelop it."

The state of Pennsylvania owns the building and has set the market value of the site at $272,000 a figure the city negotiated down from $340,000 because of restrictive development clauses in the contract.

The BRA is waiting on recommendations from a feasibility study that Hanna expects will recommend best uses of the Armory, an Art Deco style building erected in 1930. Additions were built in 1938 and 1968.

Once recommended usages are determined, requests for proposals will be released seeking contractors to redevelop the site.

The redevelopment authority will likely sell the building to a private developer to cover the purchase cost, Hanna said.

The 26,718-square-foot brick two-story building sets on two acres. It as a semi-detached building with bay doors suitable of small trucks to enter and large fenced in storage yard or parking lot currented hosting several wreck cars.

The building has a large drill hall, administrative space, classrooms, kitchen, multiple storage areas, and a large vehicle storage area.

According to Hanna, Bethlehem was contacted in 2011 by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to determine the City's interest in acquiring the property.

The department had a special clause in their offer. It would convey the property under and subject to a historic preservation covenant approved by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, according to Hanna who cited a city press release.

That clause requires that the Bethlehem Armory be maintained and preserved in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

This preservation clause lowered the "fair market value" of the property by 20 percent, according to Hanna who considers in an advantage to the City.

A second advantage is that the property with the covenants qualifies the owner to get some Federal tax benefits.

"We are excited about working with the city and the commonwealth on leasing this building with the intention to purchase, preserve and redevelop it," said Hanna in a press release.

Hanna said in 2012 that he believes the city would have no trouble recouping the investment once the city decides on how to redevelop the old armory.

The building would likely be sold to a developer or leased to multiple users, Hanna said.

He said he expects the use study or proposal from USA Architects to be ready in about six weeks.

The 2012 press release said the study, "Will examine options for housing, high tech or incubator or post-incubator commercial and office uses along with other options for adaptive reuse."

The study will include an initial survey of the existing building and will also include zoning and code analysis as well as cost estimates for various development options, according to information provided by the city.

The Bethlehem Armory, which held elements of the Pennsylvania National Guard, has been unoccupied since 2010 when the Easton Readiness Center and Field Maintenance Shop opened. The complex is at Uhler Road and Kesslersville Road in Forks Township near Braden Airpark.

The new 60,000-square-foot facility cost $21.3 million, according to published reports.

It is on the National Register of Historic Places having been added Nov. 14, 1991. It has also been known as the Floyd Simons Armory.