BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A new South Bethlehem community center could be a location for dance classes, neighborhood meet-and-greets, an open gym or a community garden, residents told officials at a meeting Wednesday.
Dozens gathered to share what they would want to see in the center.
The conversation at Northampton Community College’s Fowler Center revolved around nine “social determinants of wellness,” and those in attendance used those to tell officials what they wanted to see improve on the Southside:
- Food and nutrition (affordable groceries)
- Housing, safety and built environment (affordable rent, greenspaces)
- Transportation (more free parking, increased bus trips, free bus passes, live bus map, foot and biking bridge across the Lehigh River)
- Physical and mental health (vaccination center, handball court, art therapy, addressing noise and light pollution, mental health clinic, air quality)
- Social support and community context (dance lessons, social dancing space, dining etiquette, college prep courses, job fairs, immigrant support, non-ESL amenities)
- Childhood experiences (educational trip opportunities, sports areas, open gym)
- Race, gender, societal norms (neighborhood meet-and-greets)
- Employment and income (financial literacy help)
- Education (peer support, tutoring, enrichment classes)
The city will accept videos until Sunday of people sharing what they would like to see in the new center.
Some people on Wednesday brainstormed potential locations, including a site just west of the Fahy Bridge — while some said putting the facility on Third or Fourth Street wouldn’t be ideal because of traffic.
Officials said there’s no specific location, cost or timeline to share for the new neighborhood center just yet, but Wednesday’s discussion would help to broaden the efforts behind the feasibility study.
City leadership has said the study should be completed by late spring. Bethlehem City Council approved the contract in November at a cost of about $88,000.
Residents are without a defined community hub following the closures of a number of popular former meeting spots, including St. John’s Windish Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Southside Neighborhood Center and the relocated Boys & Girls Club now in the northeastern part of town.
Thoughts from locals
"The energy in this room is phenomenal, and the leadership of this program has me optimistic and so grateful for the future," lifelong South Bethlehem resident Carlos Diaz said.
“I’m just excited that a community center is coming to the Southside of Bethlehem,” resident Angela Mitchell said, drawing applause from the crowd.
One resident said an “omnipotent person,” a source of knowledge for how to handle the troubles of those living in Bethlehem who directs people to the right sources citywide, would be crucial for this new facility.
Carolina Hernandez, Lehigh University’s assistant dean and director of the community service office, said the city already has three of those “omnipotent” people in the South Bethlehem area.
"The energy in this room is phenomenal, and the leadership of this program has me optimistic and so grateful for the future."Lifelong South Bethlehem resident Carlos Diaz
And they can be found working as community school coordinators with Donegan Elementary, Fountain Hill Elementary and Broughal Middle schools, Hernandez said.
“All the resources, services that not only our kids need to be successful academically, are available there,” she said.
“But also, we do provide the resources and support and services for families, and even [for] people who don’t have kids in the schools.”
She said it’s time to celebrate that work but also invest to broaden the programming and keep the amenities accessible later into the day.
A couple of people mentioned the importance of recreational opportunities at a new neighborhood center, saying those could give kids accessible pastimes and possibly open doors for their future.
'Trying to understand real experiences'
Officials said the new operation wouldn’t take away from facilities with similar offerings elsewhere in the city, such as the Boys & Girls Club on Fritz Drive.
“Our goal is not to duplicate resources but to enhance our community assets and the amazing work that is already underway with our existing partners,” city Deputy Community Development Director Sara Satullo said.
“We want to hear what’s worked, what hasn’t worked. We want to incorporate all of your hopes, dreams and feedback into our planning process.”
Christopher Kroner, principal with the Poughkeepsie, New York, office of MASS Design Group, said his team was trying to get a sense of the “places, ideas, needs and gaps” that South Bethlehem residents currently see day to day.
“Our goal is not to duplicate resources but to enhance our community assets and the amazing work that is already underway with our existing partners.”Bethlehem Deputy Community Development Director Sara Satullo
“We’re trying to understand the things that we can’t find at a desk, that we can’t assume from data,” Kroner said.
“And we’re trying to understand real experiences.”
Kroner’s firm also is joined by Atkin Olshin Schade Associates of Philadelphia and Taggart Associates of Bethlehem.
