Lehigh University has won the final bid for the sale of several Southside church properties. The school and city were locked in a weeks-long contest for ownership of a large car park and three churches whose members have joined into a single Lutheran congregation.

Lehigh University released the following statement shortly after it was announced that the three Lutheran Churches had accepted Lehigh’s $3.75 million offer for its properties.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the vote and would like to thank the congregations’ leadership and members for their acceptance of Lehigh’s offer, a demonstration of their confidence in the university to be thoughtful owners of the properties.

“The success of Lehigh is inextricably tied to the success of the Bethlehem community. We remain committed to our collaboration with community partners and the City to ensure a bright future for all.”

Mayor William Reynolds was quick to respond, saying, “South Bethlehem lost an opportunity to determine its own future. We share the residents’ disappointment in the vote and what it means for the future of their neighborhoods. We remain resolute in our mission of building a city for everyone.”

Councilwoman Rachel Leon, who holds deep personal ties to St. John’s Windish, told The Press shortly after the decision became public, “I think the hardest part about all of this is that the community showed up and expressed their concerns to the congregation. While I’m happy that the churches were able to move forward together, they left a concerned community to deal with a very uncertain future. And they trusted Lehigh with a large part of our community. Lehigh, an entity not known for caring about the community that lives on the Southside. It’s heartbreaking for a lot of us who live here.”

Lehigh’s plans for the properties have not been made public.