Guardian Life Insurance's former home is demolished. See what's replacing it. (PHOTOS)

Demolition of the former Guardian Life Insurance office building by developer J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc. is seen Feb. 6, 2019, at 3900 Burgess Place in Hanover Township, Northampton County. Petrucci plans a three-building, 470,000-square-foot flex-space industrial center, opening by year's end. J Taylor Design photo | For lehighvalleylive.com

Built in 1983, the former home of Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America outside Bethlehem has been demolished to make way for a new industrial center.

Developer J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc. announced Tuesday demolition had begun at the office building at 3900 Burgess Place in Hanover Township, Northampton County.

Guardian left the space for its new $70 million, 281,680-square-foot regional headquarters opened in 2016 at 6255 Sterners Way in the township.

Once the 196,823-square-foot former Guardian building is cleared away, Petrucci plans to construct a three-building, 470,000-square feed flex-space industrial complex called the Lehigh Valley Flex Center.

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J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc.'s new Lehigh Valley Flex Center is seen in a rendering. The three-building warehouse and manufacturing complex is being build at the former headquarters of Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America in Hanover Township, Northampton County. Courtesy J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc. | For lehighvalleylive.com

The new center will offer flexible lease options for businesses looking to set up shop in between 50,000 and 160,000 square feet, according to Petrucci.

"An important and often overlooked element of economic development is the redevelopment of brownfields and the rehabilitation of vacant buildings into new, vibrant uses for the region," Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., says in a news release from Hunterdon County-based Petrucci. "We're grateful that J.G. Petrucci has once again breathed new life into another Lehigh Valley property, particularly one that serves the growing need for smaller industrial flex space in the region to meet manufacturing demand."

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J Taylor Design photo | For lehighvalleylive.com

The former Guardian building "featured a dated design comprised of private office spaces, conference rooms, cubicles, limited day light and restricted views of the outdoors," according to Petrucci's release.

The first, 150,00-square-foot building at Lehigh Valley Flex Center is scheduled to open during the fourth quarter of 2019.

"Lehigh Valley Flex Center will transform an obsolete building in the Lehigh Valley and will offer state-of-the-art warehouse and manufacturing space to operators looking to reach over 40 percent of the United States population within a day’s drive," Petrucci says.

Scroll on for more images of the demolition.

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