A 76-unit and 150-bed apartment complex is being constructed at 114 E Fourth St. on the South Side. The complex, The Marshall Valley, is being built by real estate company Aptitude Development and is advertised as premium off-campus housing for Lehigh students.
Projected for completion in summer 2025, the complex will feature apartments with one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, a gym and an outdoor basketball court.
Jordan Suchoff, the vice president of operations at Aptitude Development, said he sees a bright future for the project.
He said the complex is built and designed for Lehigh, and the company is looking to work with any group of people at the university.
Lehigh economics professor Todd Watkins said he sees both pros and cons in the development.
He said the relationship between the complex and the community is complicated, as housing prices affect the local economy and vice versa.
“When (housing prices) are affordable, you can attract really good people and put them in attractive communities,” Watkins said. “When they are less affordable, the people that move in tend to be wealthier, and they create demand for gentrification.”
Suchoff said Aptitude Development doesn’t see The Marshall Valley as an agent of gentrification or housing issues on the South Side. Rather, the organization sees its work as an amenity to the Lehigh and Bethlehem community.
“We know that if we build 150 beds, that’s 150 extra people that the university can have living here,” Suchoff said.
Watkins said it’s important to have housing options at all levels to ensure a community can thrive. When housing is tight, he said it’s harder for the region to attract good employees.
Watkins said The Marshall Valley shows some promise in bolstering the local community due to its proximity to local businesses.
“We’re going to have more students living in the urban corridor down on the South Side where the businesses are and just naturally will be supporting those businesses and bringing more vibrance to the South Side,” Watkins said.
Ceanna Spisto, a lease-up specialist with Aptitude Development, said she’s enthusiastic about supporting the local economy.
“We are more than willing to work with any other well-established or even up-and-coming company here,” Spisto said. “It’s our intention to have events with everyone in the community surrounding us.”
Suchoff said his team is seeking opportunities to collaborate with student groups at Lehigh, and they hope to obtain an official partnership with the university in the future.
The Brown and White contacted seven Lehigh students for an interview about the Marshall Valley, but only two students expressed interest and one student was interested.
Saachi Mishra, ‘26, is one of the Lehigh students featured on the Marshall Valley’s Instagram page.
“I was walking to class, and they had free Celsius to follow (their) Instagram,” Mishra said. “They reached out to me after that.”
Mishra said location is the biggest factor for her in determining where to live, and she hopes to live somewhere central.
Suchoff said location is one area where The Marshall Valley shines.
“If I can throw a baseball with my off hand and hit campus, I would take that location every day,” Suchoff said.
Suchoff said The Marshall Valley will be competing with other student housing options and plans to boast the complex’s location, security and comfort.
He said the complex will have better amenities than any other off-campus housing options, and he anticipates they will be a leader in the market.
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