Lehigh County Commissioners gave first reading approval, by an 8-0 vote, for Jaindl Properties LLC to lease the first floor of the Hamilton Financial Center Building, 640 Hamilton St., Allentown.

Commissioner Brad Osborne missed the July 10 meeting.

“I was sorry to see Johnny Bagel move out of the Hamilton Financial Center,” Commissioner Dr. Percy Dougherty said. “With Jaindl Properties, we have a really good tenant moving in.

“They will be advertising their waterfront development projects. They want to have a very visible space downtown.”

The 10-year lease stipulates increasing rent to range from $29,700 the first year to $34,805 in the final year.

Commissioners also gave first reading approval for amending the Lehigh County Capital Plan to allocate money for X-ray equipment for the county coroner’s office.

The board also approved disbursal of affordable housing trust funds to the following recipients:

·Allentown Housing Authority for redevelopment of 671 Lawrence Court, $75,000;

·Catholic Charities for case management with emergency rent and mortgage assistance, $30,000;

·Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley for homeownership counseling and mortgage counseling and mitigation, $33,302.15;

·Lehigh County Department of Community and Economic Development for home inspection for low-to-moderate income homeowners and related services, $10,003.85;

·Habitat for Humanity Lehigh Valley for underwriting costs for eight homes on the 600 block of Tacoma St., Allentown, $100,000;

·Housing Association and Development Corp. for construction of four new owner-occupied town houses on the corner of North and Penn streets, $150,930;

·New Bethany Ministries for renovation to Columbia House, $33,000; and

·North Penn Legal Services for costs enabling low-income clients to maintain affordable and habitable housing, $10,000.

In other business, commissioners reappointed William L. Royer and Arland Schantz to the Lehigh County Conservation District. Their terms expire Dec. 31, 2022.