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.
