Key, wallet and telephone. This is all that Brian Perhamus, '21, had time to grasp when a fire alarm was expanded by the five residential buildings on May 2.
Around 2 p.m. Perhamus said he noticed smoke in front of his window. Moments later the fire alarm started.
“I thought:” This is probably not ideal, “he said.” So I packed my keys, wallet, phone and just left everything else because I probably don't want to stay on fire in a building, right? “
Five months later, the five apartments and local companies on the ground floor are still reconstructed.
Perhamus, who worked from afar that day, was one of the tenants who were driven out. He said he was able to stay with his family in Easton, but not all residents were lucky.
Matthew Callahan, the marketing director for Civic Property Management – the company that manages the five 10 apartments – said that he estimated that around 130 inhabitants were sold.
Perhamus said that the administration of civil engineers has provided hotel accommodation and regular e -mail updates available.
Callahan said, while the fire caused considerable damage, especially on the roof of the building, the water became more destruction.
When the building was evacuated, the displaced people gathered in the nearby parking garage in the Polk Street, where they waited for about five hours for people to leave the building back.
Perhamus said those who needed medication or had pets were allowed to return to the building. He was able to let up his apartment around 10 p.m. for 10 minutes to collect his essentials.
Since his apartment on the third floor was the most damaged corner of the building, it was spared the worst of destruction. However, he said that the residents of the top floor and those who were exposed to East Third Street have probably lost everything from water damage.
In the following days, Perhamus said that short time windows were assigned to the residents to access more belongings from their apartments. This week he said that the restoration company Paul Davis had worked on repairs.
Shawna Foltz, the director of operations for the administration of citizens' mobile, said the fire never spread into the building, and all the necessary repairs are due to water damage.
Foltz said that after the fire brigade had marked the building as safe, Paul Davis' team went in to clean the air. She said that they had worked on the elimination of moisture and the dessics before the reconstruction started.
Suzanne Jacobs, the reconstruction project manager with Paul Davis, said the roof was the greatest challenge of the team, and the company's reduction team had not yet ended.
When she said when the temporary cover of the roof was removed, the debris fell on the ground from the chard. Jacobs said that construction workers are still cleaning up the rubble and then sealing the roof and the floor.
“What needs to be put up first is that the building has to be dried out, and that means that it is completely waterproof,” said Jacobs. “We would like to make sure that the waterproof of the building inside add something if we get a huge storm, and everything we have just done will be wet and we have to repeat it.”
Jacobs said that cleaning up alone lasted four months and needed 100 to 150 employees on site every day. The construction team now repairs the least affected page to reopen at least the first two floors, even without an elevator.
She said that repairs also take place in commercial space, and initial installations of the sanitary, electrical and HLK systems were carried out.
“I like to see what the building looked like before it was torn apart, so I have an idea of how I can put everything back together,” said Jacobs. “I also communicate with the reduction team to tell you how I removed something, so it's easier to take it back.”
Jacobs said that working conditions were difficult, with the heat being priority. She said all workers carried Tyvek protective suits to protect themselves against dangerous materials.
According to Foltz, the reaction of the Bethlehem community was overwhelming and donations and donations from local organizations support tenants.
“(Fundraising organizations) had a QR code and a link in which residents who were affected by the fire were able to register and then receive funds,” said Foltz. “I just think that the overwhelming reaction of this quarter of the South Side Bethlehem was huge and amazing.”
Although the original goal for the completion of the project in January 2026, Jacobs said – delays – worsened by tariffs that affect the equipment – make March a more realistic estimate for completion.
“My plan – my aggressive schedule – would be March,” she said. “But even that's an aggressive estimate.”
Since the fire, El Jefes Taqueria has been the only business that was reopened in the bottom of the building.
Jacobs said she also supervised this reconstruction project. After the restaurant was finished, she remember how happy the owner was and she is looking forward to feeling this joy when the apartments have been completed.
“My goal is to bring everyone back to their homes at the moment,” said Jacobs. “Everyone in this building was driven out within moments, so I hope to offer them a safe and comfortable place to resource them.”
