Da Vinci Science Center secures federal loan for downtown complex
Educational nonprofit plans to build facility on 1.25 acres
The Da Vinci Science Center is one step closer to building its planned complex in downtown Allentown.
The educational nonprofit announced Tuesday that it has secured a $5.6 million loan though the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Allentown, as promised, will guarantee the loan.
A year ago this week, Da Vinci unveiled plans to build a
science center at 18. N. Eighth St., a parking lot adjacent to Grand Plaza and across Eighth Street from PPL Center’s north
west gate. Allentown committed to providing Da Vinci two
small city-owned parcels fronting the 800 block of West Hamilton Street.
Da Vinci plans to build a 65,000-square-foot complex
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on the approximately 1.25-acre site, according to state records from this year. That’s down slightly from the 70,000- to 75,000-square-foot building mentioned in a letter of support from Allentown last year. The building would include 30,000 square feet of interactive exhibits and an 8,600-square-foot STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) education center.
The facility would also feature a 150-seat demonstration theater, a courtyard assembly space, and visitor amenities such as a cafe and store. The science center would offer a wide range of programs, with an emphasis on school children and their families.
HUD provides community development block grant recipients like Allentown the ability to access low-cost financing for economic development, housing, public facilities and infrastructure projects. Communities can use the loans to finance specific projects or to multiple projects over several years.
Allentown last year offered to guarantee as large a federal loan as it could obtain for the Da Vinci complex, which was expected to be in the $5 million range. To repay the loan, the city will look to charge a $1.50-$2.50 fee on top of paid admission to the science center. Tickets are $16.95 at Da Vinci’s Cedar Crest College location.
The city also agreed to seek state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program money and to submit municipal applications for project funding at Da Vinci’s request.
In 2017, Lehigh Valley state Sens. Pat Browne and Lisa
Boscola landed a $20 million grant for Da Vinci when it planned to build a larger complex in Easton, and the grant remains secured despite the change in location. Da Vinci has not offered a price tag for the Allentown complex.
“We are thrilled to support the project,” Allentown Mayor Ray O’Connell said in a news release Tuesday. “The new science center will open up Da Vinci to tens of thousands of new visitors and expand their mission of bringing science to life and lives to science.”
Da Vinci is aiming to break ground in late 2021 and anticipates construction will take two years, Business Development Director Brian Strohecker said Tuesday. The organization hopes to share additional information about the planned facility this year.