South Side Community Center Feasibility Study
In a celebration of unity and collaboration, the City of Bethlehem invites all community members to help envision a new Southside community center. This groundbreaking initiative aims to harness the creative spirit and collective wisdom of the residents, marking a pivotal moment in the city's growth and development.
With the consulting assistance of AOS Architects, MASS Design Group, Taggart Associates, and Ideas & Action, the City of Bethlehem is embarking upon a feasibility study of sites and ideas for a new South Bethlehem community center.
Phases
Feasibility Study Presentation and Community Anthem Premiere
The Bethlehem community is invited to join Mayor J. William Reynolds and his Administration for a meeting about plans for a South Bethlehem Community Center, which will kick off with a screening of the Southside Community Anthem.
When: 6:00pm-8:00 pm on Thursday, January 30, 2025
Where: Northampton Community College’s Fowler Center at 511 E 3rd St, Bethlehem, PA 18015
What: Mayor Reynolds and his staff will lead a presentation on the completed Southside Community Center Feasibility Study.
The feasibility study includes:
- comprehensive assessment of community assets and needs;
- extensive community engagement insights (including findings from focus groups, video testimonials, surveys, stakeholder video interviews, and participation in a community caucus event);
- realistic and detailed financial analysis;
- community informed design; and
- thoughtful SWOT analysis of potential sites.
Mayor J. William Reynolds said, “It has been a community driven process to get us to this exciting point and we can’t thank enough the residents, businesses, and community partners who have been engaged from day one. We are eager to share the results of the study and talk about next steps for this project. We have already received incredible interest from our private and public sector partners who share our vision and excitement for the community center. It is going to be special.”
In anticipation of this meeting, the City is releasing the Southside Community Center Community Anthem.
When the City launched the feasibility study in the spring of 2023, it included a community visioning process through a call for Community Anthem video submissions. The innovative engagement process sought to capture the creative spirit and collective wisdom of residents and amplify their voices in this planning process. The anthem can be found here and the City encourages the community to share it far and wide: