BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A section of Third Street in Southside Bethlehem near the Hill-to-Hill Bridge is set to get $900,000 in walkability improvements through a state grant, officials announced Tuesday morning.
The multimodal transportation grant, from the state Department of Community and Economic Development, will fund improvements such as new sidewalks, streetlights and crosswalks near ArtsQuest’s Banana Factory complex.
“If we have improved streetscapes, right, you've got trees, you've got improved sidewalks, curbing, ADA accessibility — that's a huge deal.”ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert
“It's for pedestrian improvements, enhanced crosswalks, for lighting, for street trees — basically an overall improvement to the streetscape,” state Rep. Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton, said at a news conference.
The roads around the Banana Factory now are treacherous for pedestrians, ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert said.
“I used to do it all the time. You try to cross over to Lehigh Pizza,” from the Banana Factory, across Northampton Street, “You're taking your life in your hands,” Hilgert said.
“If we have improved streetscapes, right, you've got trees, you've got improved sidewalks, curbing, ADA accessibility — that's a huge deal.”
'Being built for people'
Starting next year, when ArtsQuest demolishes the Banana Factory and builds a new five-story, $26 million cultural center on the same site, its contractors also will make improvements to surrounding sidewalks.
The improvements are essential to the future cultural center’s success, Hilgert said.
“You can design the building to be inviting, but if the streetscape around it doesn't encourage that kind of walking, I don't think you've accomplished a whole lot."ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert
“You can design the building to be inviting, but if the streetscape around it doesn't encourage that kind of walking, I don't think you've accomplished a whole lot,” she said.
The City of Bethlehem, which applied for the grant in partnership with ArtsQuest, will oversee upgrades to city-owned pedestrian infrastructure.
The resulting improvements will connect the future cultural center to the South Bethlehem Greenway, the Hill-to-Hill Bridge and to New Street near the Fahy Bridge.
Hilgert said ArtsQuest has so far raised more than $20 million of the $28 million needed to start construction, and that this week’s grant hopefully will generate more private-sector support for the cultural center project.
Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds praised the project Tuesday as a step toward making South Bethlehem a friendlier place for pedestrians.
He said it was only possible through collaboration among state officials, local government and the region’s nonprofits.
“One by one, throughout the city, we are trying to take those areas that, as I said, are built for cars and turning them into being built for people,” Reynolds said.
