The parking lot was full Thursday night at the Banana Factory visual arts building on Southside Bethlehem, with no more room inside for any additional artists, classes, events or other community programs.

Not only is it at capacity, the six-building complex — its oldest portion dates to 1885 — is about $1.4 million behind on maintenance with an estimated $5 million in improvements needed just to meet modern building codes.

That was the message as its nonprofit owner, ArtsQuest, presented the vision in the work for several years now to build the Banana Factory’s replacement.

It’s a plan with a timeline and a projected cost, though fundraising is continuing, ArtsQuest representatives said. There are high hopes for the kind of programming the sleek new structure will house.

The same presentation on the new building and programming is slated to be shared at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 in the Banana Factory, 25 W. Third St. Sessions also are planned in the new year with Bethlehem Area School District families and the current visual arts hub’s resident artists.

“I think it’s very significant that we are having this beautiful building, which will provide a lot more opportunities to expand what we’re doing now and then bring in more of the community input as far as events and programs — making sure that the families are also aware, the students are aware of what’s going on,” said Joanne Garcia, a Southside native who is ArtsQuest’s education coordinator.

ArtsQuest opened the Banana Factory in 1998. Historically, it really was used for bananas, as a warehouse for Demetrious Theodoredis’ Theodoredis and Sons Banana Co. from 1936 until 1989.

Though not yet named, the new cultural center as ArtsQuest is referring to the successor building is planned as 73,000 square feet spread over five stories, in addition to a separate, one-story 5,500-square-foot glass-blowing studio. New green space is planned for the gateway property on Southside, with the parking moved to the rear and an improved flow planned for guest traffic and buses.

It’ll add about 30% more space than the Banana Factory offers, with an estimated cost of $22 million to $25 million. That’s well below the estimate of around $30 million for ArtsQuest’s pre-pandemic plans, which incorporated two of the existing complex’s building into the design. Instead, the nonprofit fought for city approval finalized in January to demolish the entire structure and build completely anew.

The Banana Factory is projected to remain open through 2024, with demolition during the first quarter of 2025 kicking off construction expected to last about 12 to 14 months. ArtsQuest is looking for space to house some of its programming during construction. It hopes to have some plans lined up by the end of 2023 for studio space for some of the current 30 resident artists, who enjoy subsidized rents.

Once complete, the new center aims to better complement the performing arts and festival space that ArtsQuest offers on the SteelStacks campus opened in 2011 just to the east beside the still-standing blast furnaces of the former Bethlehem Steel Corp.

“We are excited about the opportunity with new gallery spaces, new studios, new classrooms to really elevate what we’re doing over here and to really match what is happening on the other end of campus with performing arts, with our cinema programming, music, festivals, dance,” said Lisa Harms, ArtsQuest’s senior director of visual arts and education. “Our goal is to really bring visual arts up and elevate it as we continue to be an accessible, community-focused space that’s open free to the public seven days a week to come in and enjoy the galleries.”

Representing a big change in the new building’s design are windows looking into what’s going on from along the West Third Street frontage.

“One of the challenges or pieces of feedback we get now is people don’t know what happens in the building,” Harms said. “So you will be able to see active classes, things going on. We will obviously have shades and things like that if we have children’s classes for privacy’s sake, but it’ll be much more dynamic as people walk up and see what’s happening in the building.”

Working with MKSD Architects in South Whitehall Township, ArtsQuest designed the new first floor with a permanent black box comedy theater; multiple entrances for the different components to increase pedestrian traffic; a bar with kitchen; small and large gallery spaces, available to rent out for events; retail space for handmade artisan goods; maker space for wood, metal and cold-working on glass; and rotating outdoor mural art in multiple locations.

The upper floors are being designed with classrooms; artist studios; volunteer and tenant space for nonprofit partners like Pennsylvania Youth Theatre; ceramics studios; kiln space; a wheel-throwing studio available to rent time in; a mosaic infusion area; early education areas; a digital production lab and recording studio operated in partnership with the school district; artist collaboration space; areas for printmaking, fiber art and jewelry; and spray booths.

The fifth floor layout features rental space for events and a covered deck with views to the east of SteelStacks.

Like the first floor exterior, the artist studios will have windows to draw in visitors. And the classrooms are designed with something every established or budding artist needs — a place to wash up.

“We really have one classroom that has a sink in it, and we run lots of classes — we have classes in every room of this building — so we’re looking at increasing that to nine classrooms in the new building that will have proper facilities for us to run programming,” Harms said.

ArtsQuest is already planning a host of continued and new programs and events year-round in its new center, including offering up space during the nonprofit’s annual Musikfest entering its 41st year in 2024. There are programs that are free and tuition-based — scholarships are available — for students and teachers; artists to exhibit, teach and sell; families; individuals with sensory needs; older adults and community partners.

A partial list of programs that have drawn over 200,000 attendees includes ArtSmart, First Fridays, Second Sundays, creative family workshops, healing art and music, Teen Takeover, comedy, glass programming, Paint & Sip, plein-air painting; public art; exhibitions and openings and field trips.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at [email protected].