The Bethlehem Steel Plant closed in 1995, leaving an abandoned 1,800-acre industrial site comprising 25 percent of Bethlehem’s land. The redevelopment of this land presented the City of Bethlehem with a challenging opportunity. The plant was located in Bethlehem’s South Side, a neighborhood with a median household income of $23,000, where 28 percent of the residents live below the poverty line and 63 percent are from minority groups. Former Director of Bethlehem City’s Community and Economic Development department Tony Hanna, along with Mayor John Callahan and others, proposed a partnership to revitalize the area. This case study tells the story of how casino conglomerate Las Vegas Sands, a local arts NGO, and the Department of Community and Economic Development partnered to plan and design the site to feature a casino, conference center, hotel, outlet mall, and a new arts and cultural center. The casino and its environs generate new revenue and provide jobs, while the SteelStacks arts and cultural center offers modern, cultural programming together with community education and outreach initiatives.
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