SOS In The News

Valley station ponders move

PBS affiliate shows interest in Bethlehem Works location.

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

By GREGG W. BORTZ The Express-Times

BETHLEHEM -- The Lehigh Valley's Public Broadcasting System affiliate plans to move production facilities to Bethlehem Works if the would-be developer incorporates an arts park at the site.

Phillipsburg attorney and developer Michael Perrucci leads the investment group BethWorks Now, which expects to complete its $4 million purchase of the 120-acre property from International Steel Group within the next month.

Jeff Parks, founder of Musikfest and president of ArtsQuest, has spent several months rallying support for a massive arts park at Bethlehem Works he intends to call the Stax.

In addition to providing a permanent home for Musikfest and possibly other festivals, the plan incorporates a series of buildings that would house various community organizations.

If the Stax happens, WLVT-TV PBS 39 would build new digital production studios at the site, according to WLVT Chief Executive Officer Pat Simon.

WLVT would use a "significant part" of an existing building at the site, Simon said.

The public television station also plans to dedicate one of its four digital channels to broadcasting entertainment from the site.

Parks' vision would also provide a home for arts organizations like the Pennsylvania Youth Theater and Pennsylvania Ballet Company.

The Stax plan calls for three indoor seating concert arenas, Simon said.

"We would build the infrastructure to be able to broadcast from any of those," Simon said. "I think it would be great for the community."

WLVT owns four digital channels, but currently uses only three to broadcast its main schedule, educational programs to schools and distance learning.

Simon said the station is holding onto the fourth channel for the Stax project, to provide a channel highlighting local performances broadcast from Bethlehem Works.

PBS 39 broadcasts to 1.7 million homes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Simon said.

"It wouldn't hurt the arts organizations to have that kind of exposure," Simon said.

Perrucci's group has been meeting with local officials and organizations to get an understanding of what the community wants done with the site.

He's met numerous times with Parks.

Parks declined to talk about his plans in detail.

"We've been in ongoing talks with the city," Parks said. "I don't think (talking about details) would suit any purpose because I don't own the land."

Perrucci didn't return a telephone call Tuesday.

Mayor John Callahan said the developer hasn't yet committed to the ArtsQuest plan.

But Callahan and other officials are supportive of the idea.

"It's got a great deal of potential," Callahan said. "We've got to make it all work."

A four-page executive summary Parks shared with elected officials in late April gives an overview of a $120 million plan for an unspecified portion of the 160-acre site.

Parks claimed in his prospectus he could get more than $70 million in donations from foundations, corporations and individuals plus state funds to start the project.

The organizations involved in the Stax project would all raise funds to make it happen, Simon said.

WLVT has spent $4 million in the past few years to become one of the first all-digital public broadcasters in the country.

The station began broadcasting digitally in September 2001, and plans to replace its "aging" production equipment with all-digital media in the next three years, Simon said.

WLVT is also in negotiations with public radio station WDIY-FM to discuss a possible merger of the two nonprofit broadcasters.

Simon said the Stax project would also give WDIY an opportunity to be part of Bethlehem Works.

"WDIY wanted to be involved but couldn't afford it," Simon said.

Perrucci has said he generally wants to accomplish three things: economic development, historic preservation and an educational component.

Callahan said that whatever development occurs at Bethlehem Works, Perrucci needs to recoup his investments.

BethWorks Now, if it eventually owns the property, will be responsible for environmental cleanup that could cost millions of dollars.

As far back as 1997, Bethlehem Steel proposed transforming the property into a shopping, entertainment and museum district that would represent the city's economic rebirth. The now-defunct company declared bankruptcy in 2001 and ISG bought its assets.

Perrucci said the development would resemble a small-town Main Street lined with shops, restaurants and recreation, along with office space and condominiums or apartments.

The tract includes vacant plants, the former Bethlehem Steel headquarters on East Third Street, parking lots and five rusted blast furnaces that tower over the Lehigh River.

Callahan said Perrucci is committed to keeping the blast furnaces -- the image behind Parks' term "Stax."