It is just a matter of weeks or mere months before a piece of historical architecture, Allentown State Hospital, off Hanover Avenue in east Allentown, becomes a memory.

Neuber Demolition and Environmental Services Inc., Gilbertsville, which was awarded a $12.7-million contract in February to demolish the former psychiatric hospital, officially started the process with a job conference May 13 with members of the state Department of General Services Construction team, said Troy Thompson, General Services press secretary.

“It is required to have the initial job conference,” Thompson said.

“The site was transferred over to the contractor and the project began.”

He said dates when demolition was to begin have changed due to the pause on all construction activities as part of COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

“The project duration is 546 days, so the scheduled project completion date is August 2021,” Thompson said.

“There will be some site prep necessary to get it in proper condition for the actual demo, so you won’t see any buildings coming down anytime soon.”

According to Neuber’s Sept. 12, 2019, proposal, prep work includes HazMat abatement inside the buildings and environmental remediation outside the buildings, in addition to the demolition.

Developer Nat Hyman of Allentown offered to buy the property in 2019.

He emailed The Press on May 15.

“Having read about the deep financial crisis Pennsylvania is experiencing because of the pandemic, about a month ago, I wrote both Sen. Browne, R-16th, and state Rep. Schlossberg, D-132nd, to reaffirm my offer to pay them the $2,300,000 for which they previously had agreed to sell it,” Hyman said. “Of course, my offer included the stipulation the buildings remain providing the state a savings of over $12,000,000.

“Regrettably, I did not receive a response. It is mind boggling to me that, in these harsh economic times, Pennsylvania would waste $12,000,000 on this demolition.

“More importantly, I think it is a terrible architectural and historical loss for Allentown.”

The psychiatric hospital which began operating Oct. 3, 1913, consists of approximately 850,000 square feet and sits on a 195-acre campus.

The psychiatric hospital, which once served Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe and Pike counties, closed its doors in December 2010.

However, in 2017, the former psychiatric hospital had a new purpose, Director M. Night Shyamalan used it as a location to film his movie “Glass.”

The movie features actors Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis and James McAvory.

During a Jan. 24, 2109 media tour, there wasn’t much to indicate the movie was filmed there except for a Raven Hill Memorial Psychiatric Hospital sign leaning against a wall on the left side of the dining room.

And soon, there will be no indication the Allentown State Hospital existed in east Allentown, just like there wasn’t much indication the movie “Glass” was ever filmed there.