By DOUGLAS GRAVES

Special to The Press

Lehigh County Commissioners approved a $1 million grant from the state under the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to assist with DeSales University’s medical studies building project at its Sept. 22 meeting.

The vote was 7-1 with Commissioner Percy Dougherty voting against the pass-through grant. Commissioner Zakiya Smalls was absent from the hybrid in-person and online meeting.

The grant mechanism is frequently referred to as a “pass-through grant” because the money was not part of the Lehigh County budget process, but was approved by the state of Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, it requires Lehigh County approval.

According to an announcement from state Sen. Pat Browne, R-16th, the building will be a 40,000-square-foot facility which will house the doctor of physical therapy and speech language pathology programs.

The building will contain labs needed for hands-on instruction for both doctor of physical therapy and speech language pathologist, as well as administrative and faculty offices, a lecture hall, classrooms, a student lounge and storage areas.

The Department of Community and Economic Development of Lehigh County, in conjunction with Capital Blue Cross, has applied for and been awarded a $1 million grant from the state under the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to assist with the Harrisburg insurer’s new $4 million building called Capital Blue Cross Connect, 1221 Hamilton St., Allentown.

In other business, commissioners appointed David S. Jones Sr. to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. Jones is a former Lehigh County commissioner.