The 25th annual Lehigh Valley March of Dimes Commercial & Industrial Real Estate Awards was held at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks on Nov. 2, 2018.

The March of Dimes Commercial & Industrial Real Estate Awards Committee has announced the 26th Annual Awards Breakfast, which will be held on November 1, starting at 7 a.m., at the Musikfest Café at Steelstacks in Bethlehem.

This prestigious event has long honored individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the local real estate market and local community through their efforts in real estate and the allied professions.

This year’s recipients are:

• Individual of the Year:
  Scott V. Fainor, Community Leader & Former Bank Executive
• Projects of the Year:
  The Gateway at Greenway Park, office building (City of Bethlehem)
  Madison Farms, commercial & residential community (Bethlehem Township)

Proceeds from the awards breakfast will benefit the March of Dimes Northeast Pennsylvania Market.  The March of Dimes’ mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

The Lehigh Valley event has raised $1.5 million for the March of Dimes over the last 25 years, and last year’s event alone raised $95,000.

“We are very pleased to honor the outstanding individuals, companies, and projects that have made a significant impact on the Lehigh Valley economy, while simultaneously raising money and awareness for an important organization that has touched the lives of countless children for more than 75 years,” said Mike Jeitner, committee chairman. “We’re honored to help March of Dimes deliver the healthiest beginnings, so that every generation can have the brightest tomorrow.”

The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) is a video sponsor of the event, and LVEDC Director of Communications Colin McEvoy serves on the March of Dimes Commercial & Industrial Real Estate Awards Committee.

Doors open for networking at 7 a.m. The program and breakfast begin at 8 a.m. and will conclude at 9 a.m., followed by additional time for networking.

The Commercial & Industrial Real Estate Awards committee was formed in 1993 by commercial and industrial real estate professionals in the Lehigh Valley, some of whom still serve. The event has grown from approximately 175 attendees to a sold-out crowd of nearly 500 comprised of realtors, bankers, architects, engineers, construction professionals and others in the real estate community.

Additional information about the honorees can be found below:

Project of the Year: The Gateway at Greenway Park

A six-story office building located at Third and New streets in South Bethlehem, the Gateway at Greenway Park is appropriately named, as it was built with the intention of being the gateway to urban renewal and the revitalization of South Bethlehem. Having opened in early 2019, this 125,000 square-foot building features St. Luke’s University Health Network and Lehigh University as the anchor tenants, with St. Luke’s utilizing a mixed-use floor of clinical, teaching, and administrative space, and Lehigh University housing employees from its Office of Advancement. Other tenants include Zest bar+grille, Vita Medical Associates P.C., Quadratus Construction Management, Taza Egyptian Cuisine, and Venture X. The Gateway at Greenway Park has brought new workers into the city, provided additional foot traffic for South Bethlehem, and served as another catalyst in the continuing renaissance of South Bethlehem.

Project of the Year: Madison Farms

When KRE Group and The Silverman Group first proposed the idea of Madison Farms eight years ago, it was a concept the Lehigh Valley had never seen before. This mixed commercial and residential community, located on 100 acres in Bethlehem Township, is a luxurious collection of smartly-designed, spacious rental units offering the ultimate in luxury apartment living. Far from your typical apartment complex, Madison Farms is one of the most commercial- and retail-friendly residential communities the Lehigh Valley has ever seen, offering all the amenities its residents could need in one spot. Situated near the airport, hospital, and multiple entertainment options, Madison Farm is within walking distance to Shoprite and Starbucks, as well as a collection of shopping locations and walking paths. The development has been a huge success, with residential occupancy rates very high, and all its retail space fully occupied.

Individual/Organization of the Year: Scott V. Fainor

Scott V. Fainor served as a Group Executive of BB&T (NYSE: BBT) from April 2016 until his retirement in February 2019. In that role, he managed a 10-state region from Pennsylvania to South Carolina and was responsible for all commercial banking activities and financial results.

Prior to BB&T, Fainor was President and CEO of the public company National Penn Bancshares, Inc. and a member of the Board of Directors from January 2010 to April 2016. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., National Penn Bancshares, Inc. was a $10 billion-asset commercial bank with banking, investment, insurance and trust operations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. Under Fainor’s leadership, the bank was ranked No. 1 in Pennsylvania by Bank Director magazine in 2015 and was No. 17 in Forbes magazine’s Top 100 Largest Banks in America ranked by asset quality, strong financial performance and shareholder returns on investment. From February 2008 to December 2009 Fainor served as President, CEO and Director of National Penn Bank.

Prior to National Penn Bank, Fainor was President and CEO of KNBT Bancorp Inc., from October 2003 to February 2008 when the bank merged with National Penn. Prior to KNBT, Fainor was President and CEO of First Colonial Group, Inc./Nazareth National Bank & Trust Co. He also held executive positions with Wachovia/First Union, First Fidelity/Fidelity Bank and started his banking career with Merchants Bank of Allentown in January of 1980.

In January of 2014, Fainor was appointed to the Federal Advisory Council of The Federal Reserve Board, Washington, DC. He also served on various committees with The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and PA Bankers Association throughout his banking career. He currently serves on the boards of The Lehigh Valley Partnership and The Keystone Savings Foundation. He previously served on the boards of Lehigh Valley Industrial Parks and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. Throughout his career Fainor worked with multiple not-for-profit organizations in the Lehigh Valley and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Fainor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Finance from DeSales University, where he formerly served as a Trustee.