EASTON, Pa. — ArtsQuest on Thursday showed a Northampton County Council committee updated plans for more than $36 million in spending, including a $23 million new community center replacing the Banana Factory and an event space in a former Bethlehem Steel workshop.
ArtsQuest President Kassie Hilgert told the council's Economic Development Committee the nonprofit’s top priority is the new cultural center built on the site of what is now the Banana Factory, which ArtsQuest plans to demolish.
Hilgert said the price will likely rise by the time construction is finished.
- ArtsQuest plans a new 5-story community center to replace The Banana Factory and a 13,000-square-foot event space in a Bethlehem Steel workshop
- The two projects are expected to cost more than $36 million to build
- Roughly $23 million has been raised so far
The new five-story building will house artist studios, classrooms, an expanded glassblowing hot shop, performance and exhibition space and a “maker space” with tools for 3D printing, woodworking, welding and more.
Hilgert told the committee that all of the studios already are spoken for, with a wait list already filling up, and that other organizations also have expressed interest in leasing space.
Building the center will generate $46 million for the local economy, according to the nonprofit’s estimates; its annual economic impact is projected to exceed $13 million.
So far, ArtsQuest has raised $14.5 million for construction, leaving roughly $8 million to raise before construction can begin, Hilgert said.
She said the organization hopes to have the funds in place to break ground in late 2024 or early 2025.
New event space
Capital plans also include a $14 million renovation of Bethlehem Steel’s former turn and grind shop to turn it into a 13,000-square-foot event space.
So far, $8.4 million has been raised, Hilgert said.
“We’re replicating what happened at SteelStacks. The public sector committed, which made the private sector feel comfortable to finish the project.”Kassie Hilgert, ArtsQuest President
In addition to renting out the building for galas and weddings, ArtsQuest intends to use the building for its own festivals, turning it into a beer hall during Oktoberfest, a place for vendors during Christkindlmarkt and a green room for artists during Musikfest.
Hilgert said she hopes already-committed funding from entities such as Northampton County will entice private-sector donors to contribute.
“We’re replicating what happened at SteelStacks,” she said. “The public sector committed, which made the private sector feel comfortable to finish the project.”
ArtsQuest originally developed the spending plan in 2019. After being shelved as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, it’s being dusted off after a record-breaking year for the organization.
Christkindlmarkt and Musikfest both set new attendance records this year, Hilgert said, and Oktoberfest logged its second-best year so far.
Hilgert said that contributed to the nonprofit’s over $122 million estimated economic impact in 2022.
