Lehigh Valley Dairy building in Whitehall to be demolished

Preparation has begun to demolish the former Lehigh Valley Dairy building in Whitehall Township, which has sat idle for more than 30 years.

State Sen. Nick Miller’s office made the announcement Tuesday afternoon. The building, along MacArthur Road near the border between Allentown and Whitehall, has been vacant since 1989.

Miller called the building an “eyesore” and said getting to this stage was a collaborative effort of the township, the Lehigh County Redevelopment Authority and the state Department of Community and Economic Development. He added that it will be a critical first step in rehabilitating the 10-acre property.

“I’m thrilled to announce that after more than three decades, today we start the process of clearing up this blighted site to return it to productive use,” said Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton. “Hundreds of Lehigh Valley residents and visitors drive by this site every day.”

The Elias family, owners of local farm markets, bought the property five years ago for $1.35 million from LVD Realty, which acquired it in 1996.

What was originally a 350,000-square-foot building has been partially demolished and the remnants are full of mold, with floors collapsing and a nonfunctional roof, Miller’s office said. It was deemed unsalvageable. There is also a history of trespassing, squatters and dangerous activity.

Whitehall Mayor Joe Marx said he greatly appreciated that the project was finally moving forward.

PICTURES: The former Lehigh Valley Dairy property

“I am very excited the demolition process has begun,” he said in the statement. “ … Blight promotes blight. With the dairy building coming down, it gives us a great opportunity to move forward. It will be a viable, prosperous piece of real estate.”

Fadia Halma, the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s Lehigh Valley regional director, said the development of the property will be an economic driver in the Whitehall corridor.

The building was converted from a silk mill to a dairy in 1934. It featured a retail dairy bar and auditorium, which was often used to host Whitehall High School graduations.

In January 1989, Lehigh Valley Dairies, as it was then known, laid off all but 50 of the 270 employees at the Whitehall plant, before abandoning the building later that year.