SteelStacks, the arts and cultural campus located on the site of Bethlehem's former Bethlehem Steel Corp. south side plant, has been honored with an Urban Land Institute (ULI) Global Award for Excellence for its role in helping to redevelop one of the largest brownfields in the United States.

The award was presented to Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Tony Hanna and ArtsQuest President Jeff Parks during ULI's fall meeting Oct. 22 in New York City.

SteelStacks was among 13 real estate developments from around the world selected as winners in the 2014 ULI Global Awards for Excellence competition, widely recognized as the land use industry's most prestigious recognition program. The winners included six projects in North America, four in Europe and three in Asia.

"The ULI Global Award for Excellence is a very prestigious honor, and we are proud to be included among some of the most creative and innovative land use and real estate development projects in the world," said Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez.

SteelStacks, which opened in 2011, is a public-private partnership between the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority, City of Bethlehem, Bethlehem Area School District, Northampton County, PBS39 and ArtsQuest.

SteelStacks' master site planning was done by Wallace Roberts & Todd, and architecture and landscape architecture were done by Artefact, Spillman Farmer Architects, URS Corporation, USA Architects and Wallace Roberts & Todd. Lighting at SteelStacks was done by L'Observatoire International and Speirs + Major.

"SteelStacks is an excellent example of how communities can work together to find creative solutions for reusing abandoned industrial sites and Brownfields," said Hanna.

"SteelStacks, as well as the adjacent Sands Casino Resort and its related development, will serve as catalysts for future development on the site and throughout Bethlehem's SouthSide for years to come," Hanna said.

The ULI Awards of Excellence, now in their 36th year, recognize real estate projects that achieve a high standard of excellence in design, construction, economics, planning and management. The program is viewed as the centerpiece of ULI's efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of real estate development. SteelStacks was one of 23 finalists nominated for a ULI global award this year;

The 2014 Global Award for Excellence, along with the earlier ULI Philadelphia Award for Excellence, marks the first time the entire SteelStacks campus has been honored with a major award.

"When we announced the SteelStacks project in 2005, we said that we were going to create one of the most unique performance sites in the world," said Parks.

"The ULI Global Award for Excellence affirms that we have succeeded in our goal. It also affirms that the Lehigh Valley is well on its way to reclaiming its place in the constellation of vibrant, creative, economically successful American communities," Parks said.