Bethlehem city council approved ArtsQuest’s plans to demolish the Banana Factory and replace it with a new cultural arts center.
Their decision overrode the historic conservation commission’s recommendation, which voted 3-2 last month to deny the Bethlehem-based nonprofit’s plans.
Historic commission members who voted against the project said they did not want to see the existing buildings demolished. But council members who voted in favor of said they support ArtsQuest’s mission to expand their visual arts programming.
“There’s times that properties do have to be demolished, I think this is one of those times,” Council Vice President Grace Crampsie Smith said.
The vote was 5-2, with council members Michael Colon, Grace Crampsie Smith, Hillary Kwiatek, Grace Van Wirt and Kiera Wilhem in favor of ArtsQuest, and Rachel Leon and Wandalyn Enix against.
ArtsQuest first secured approval to revamp the Banana Factory in 2018, and originally planned to preserve two of the factory’s six buildings. But with rising construction costs, keeping those buildings is no longer economically feasible for ArtsQuest according to CEO Kassie Hilgert.
Demolishing the entire structure will save ArtsQuest around $4 million.
This story will be updated.
