Demolition of the Banana Factory continues Friday, May 2, 2025, in Bethlehem.
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Demolition of the Banana Factory continues Friday, May 2, 2025, in Bethlehem. The longtime south Bethlehem hub for visual arts programming closed in Dec., and ArtsQuest plans a $32 million cultural center to replace it. The Banana Factory was a complex of six buildings that included artist studios, galleries and art classrooms. ArtsQuest received city approval in 2022 to demolish the complex and build a five-story, 78,000-square-foot center with room for expanded arts programming, performance venues, gallery space and more artist studios. Construction of the new center is expected to be completed in late 2026. ArtsQuest announced Thursday that it will partner with the Bethlehem Area Public Library to digitally preserve artwork, photographs and other media originally housed in the Banana Factory to preserve its legacy and cultural significance. (Monica Cabrera/The Morning Call)