Allentown's DaVinci Science Center would like to relocate to Easton. This is thanks in no small part to a $30 million pledge by Easton Mayor Sal Panto towards a $130 million aquarium. Last night, at the first of four town halls concerning this project at Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem, Executive Director Lin Erickson revealed that she'd like Northampton County to help pay for the Easton location with hotel taxes. She failed to say how much she wants, but former Lehigh County Executive Jane Ervin said the ask is $15 million.
About 30 people* attended this inaugural town hall. Three more are scheduled this and next week in Bath, Easton and Bangor.**
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| Easton Mayor Sal Panto, aka tom18017, aka roverfan73 |
Many of the 30 people who attended last night are already involved in the project in some way, like Northampton County Councilperson Peg Ferraro and Discover Lehigh Valley's Mike Stershic. Bethlehem school superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy was there, along with several teachers. Representatives of the Wildlands, which has a contractual relationship with Northampton County and is apparently interested in partnering with DaVinci in some way, were on hand. So were numerous reporters. But not many actual Bethlehem residents. Aside from Ferraro, no one from Northampton County Council was there. Nor was anyone from Bethlehem City Council. Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez was also absent.
Though Erickson and Panto were slotted to speak for a combined 25 minutes, Mayor Panto by himself went on for 40 minutes.
"This is a community project," started Panto. "It is not my project. It is not Easton's project." He said that what attracts him is not the aquarium (there will apparently be both a freshwater tank and a saltwater tank with sharks and, for same reason, jellyfish). What draws him is the Science Center's commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.
On four occasions, he called critics of the plans "naysayers." He said Easton gets $1.5 million per year from 400,000 visitors to Crayola. The aquarium will draw 600,000, he claimed, and the entertainment tax on admission fees will pay debt service on a $30 million loan.
"You think I don't know it's in a flood plain?" he scoffed at one criticism, noting that City Hall itself is in a flood plain.
He never got around to saying what he'd do in the event of a flood. Maybe he'd have his rubber stamps on City Council adopt an ordinance prohibiting floods. I don't know.
He also argued the Science Center would be great for schools because there could be field trips. He added that, one or two days a year, the Science Center will open its doors to the poor.
Calling Easton a "European design town," he then talked about his legacy. He said he doesn't think about it much, "but when I'm gone, I hope you feel better."
I know I will.
Then, for some reason, he briefly mentioned solar panels.
Erickson said she knows there are going to be parking issues, but "we like the urban environment." She hopes to partner with the Wildlands which she said will take people out in boats to teach them about the river. She also mentioned kayaking and bike trips between Bethlehem and Easton.
There's no need for an aquarium to do that.
In her presentation, she completely glossed over the fact that, this far, she has still failed to raise the $1.2 million needed to determine whether this project is even feasible. But DaVinci went ahead and hired an architect to design the site. That firm, as I told you on Monday, is San Francisco's EHDD.
EHDD's Duncan Ballash said he's excited and then he and an associate detailed several of their past projects. I heard no mention of Easton's deeply rooted colonial history. In fact, they know nothing about it or the Lehigh Valley. Their focus was a 4-D immersion theatre where you could feel water being sprayed into your face.
Without an unbiased feasibility report, this is nothing more than a pipe dream and a waste of Northampton County tax dollars.
A glorified fish tank.
In the past, Northampton County did fund the Steelstacks project. But that was only for $1 million, and over a period of several years. There was a feasibility study and lots of cash on hand already.
Northampton County receives about $2.5 million in hotel taxes every year. This is based on a 4% room rental fee at county hotels. But Discover Lehigh Valley, the regional tourism agency, gets 68.75% of that tax ($1.7 million) pursuant to state law. Another 18.75 percent ($468,000) goes for tourism and community development. The rest ($332,000) can only be spent on developing facilities or marketing campaigns that will boost tourism. If all of this money is forked over to DaVinci, it will take the County 45 years to honor this commitment.
What's even more amazing is that the County will be paying public money to take a property that generates tax revenue off the rolls.
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* The Express Times reports 50 people were there. I do a count at every meeting I cover, but it's possible I counted wrong and that Kurt Bresswein counted right.
** The three remaining town halls will be today at George Wolf Elementary School in Bath; Tuesday, August 29, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bangor; and Thursday, August 31, at Paxinosa Elementary School in Easton. All meetings start at 7 pm.
33 comments:
If this is so great for the community, why not ask for a donation drive, Then you will find out if the people want it, or just those who stand to profit. Or put it up for a referendum,
Uncle Sal wants county money. He pitches solar panels. Maybe his pick for council is the candidate that happens to sell solar panels. Could be a great partnership.
Will Sal be the nighttime (side job) manager as he is at Riverview golf club?
This is a community pitch, [if successful, and I doubt it], that will benefit the employees of DaVinci and Easton. I can't see why the rest of the county should be on the hook. This is money that can pay for other major projects in NC that are severely needed. Obviously, if Bernie's breakdown is good, [and I fervently believe so], the hotel tax will not be enough to pay for Uncle Sal's pipe dream. Therefore, the taxpayers of NC will wind paying for this useless project and the debt it incurs. If Easton can pony up 30 million without blinking, let them come up with another 15 or 30 million. I'd love to be a negotiator with police and fire unions and go to arbitration with their ability to come up with 30 million!
Free admission for the poor on a couple of days each year. Very un -SHELLFISH for a fish tank.
Sal has all this money for a new police station and fish tank, wants $15 million in hotel taxes, but he still feels the need to gouge those of us who work in Easton with his odious commuter tax.
This absurd plan will flounder.
This is an outrage if it involves public money at that level. Beyond that I suspect DaVinci will also be seeking high levels of sponsorship support from the usual cast of local corporate partners such as electric utilities, the cable companies and the two largest area health networks. I doubt that the aquarium will help in any way to keep either healthcare costs or utility rates affordable for the average Lehigh Valley resident. I have always been a strong supporter of DaVinci and I could easily get behind an aquarium that is funded by legitimate private investors. However, this plan as it seems to be evolving, deserves nothing but strong community opposition to public or quasi public funding proposals.
B.O. Were you (or any one else in attendance) given the opportunity to ask questions?
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO .......do you get the message..NO
There should be no Northampton County Tax dollars for this project. The mayor screwed our Northampton County Employees and didn't even blink an eye when he did so. Now Northampton County has the opportunity to let him really know how much that hurt our employees. Sorry Sal.....but what goes around, comes around you shmuck.
Why would Northampton County support this project to be constructed in the middle of a flood plain.
All other objections set aside, the location of the desired project in the flood plain is the most ill-conceived proposal one could imagine. If Zoning is truly independent of the Mayor and Council they would rightly deny an application to build this boondoggle for any number of reasons.
"B.O. Were you (or any one else in attendance) given the opportunity to ask questions?"
Yes and No. As I explained in my story, Ericksin stated several times that she really, really wanted to hear questions from the public. I was handed index cards to write questions. But when the presentation started, the first thing she said was that we had to save our questions for the "break out" sessions that would follow the presentations.
Had I been provided the opportunity, I would have asked how they can hire an architect without having raised the $1.2 MM needed for a feasibility study. I would have asked why they are building an event center that will compete with all kinds of private ventures for weddings and banquets, and what the hell that has to do with STEM.
I would be interested to see if County Council and the candidates for County Council positions on this.
And is there a County Council member or candidate that sells solar panels?
So would I. Tara Zrinski sells solar panels. I will be asking the candidates where they stand on this issue.
Any mention of the Ripley's aquarium?
Not a word.
I was planning to go to the Easton location but if you can't ask questions, and all you can do is listen to the cheerleaders, what's the sense of going. It sounds more like a one sided pep rally.
Am I the only one that can't understand the local media? Wfmz ran a short Puff piece in this with none if these details. What gives? They always seem to eh hem gloss over a lot
Give a man a fish and ......
Give a man a chance to look at a fish.....
11:36, In fairness to the news outlets, the stories I saw are fair representations of what happened at that town hall, written by reporters who have no knowledge of many of the details because they simply do not cover these matters on a regular basis. Also, I may have erroneously quoted Panto saying something that Erickson actually said, based on my read of the WFMZ story. (I forgot my recorder). When it comes to "he said, she said," WFMZ's story may be better than mine in some ways. Same for The Express Times. I would always welcome readers to read as many accounts as they can.
My story is a factual summary combined with a quite a bit of editorializing. It's how I write best, but my story would never do as a news account. The strength of my account is that I have detailed knowledge. I have already sat through several DaVinci presentations at Council. I have detailed knowledge of the hotel tax and how it is supposed to work. I cover the meetings where the grants are awarded. I am aware of how much emphasis council has placed on the importance of doing a feasibility study. I am aware of and have written about the potential competition by Ripley's. I am aware that Erickson failed to disclose that competition. I am aware that Council has awarded $50,000 in hotel taxes and shot down DaVinci when it asked for another $50,000. I was able to find out how much is being sought, instead of just reporting that Council will be asked to help fund it. I am aware of a contractual relationship between the Wildlands and he county, and am bothered that a county employee has been involved in this project,and that employee just happens to be the son of someone in a position of authority at the Wildlands. I have spoken to some hotel owners and economic development specialists. So you see details in my stories that are missing in other accounts bc the reporters simply lack the institutional knowledge I possess, through no fault of their own.
When I do my straight news account, the challenge for me will be to present these details in a way that is fair and unbiased. But failing to disclose that a feasibility study has not been done is itself an indication of bias, I would argue. People are entitled to the truth.
Is it a coincidence that the solar energy candidate apparently hooks her business to her campaign and wants to put solar panels in county projects? is that a conflict?
This project already smells before the fish arrive.
I see no evidence that Tara Zrnski has in any way connected her business to her political campaign or that she is pushing for her solar panels on county projects. To the extent that she does that kind of advocacy, she would have to recuse herself from voting. I think you are being dishonest, just like your hero, Authoritarian Donald Trump.
I am sure Peg Ferraro will find a way to ride the fence on this project. She is a master at being for all things at the same time.
I don't see the benefit for Northampton County. I've never been to an aquarium that has reasonable entrance fees. Unless this thing is the Taj Majal of aquariums, I don't see anyone from New York metro area, Philly area, etc., coming to Easton when there are aquariums in their back yard. People will bring their kids once, maybe, and the rest of the time the place will be filled up with kids on field trips. I've been to Camden once, and that was enough. It's ok, cheaper than Baltimore by far, but not something I'd go back to.
If someone feels that committed to this that they think it will work, let them build it themselves.
The county needs to focus.
Building in a flood plain is just plain stupid!
If it is such a good project then approach a private investor like the Rippey's owner to build it in Easton rather than use taxpayer money. Hotel tax is not the right funding source except for modest amount at some point down the road. $15 million is a completely bizarre amount as Bernie pointed out based upon annual collections & other highly desirable tourism projects such as marketing UNESCO tentative list site in Bethlehem.
Bernie, were all the orca's swimming around in a fish feeding frenzy trying to pander for food?
If they want a fish tank, let them pay for it. I want more bowling alleys, should I ask the taxpayer to pay for them as well ?
and the entertainment tax on admission fees
Oh my word, this is pure insanity. We are going to bring this great and wonderful fish tank but we will tax gouge your attendance. Please stop with the venture socialism. Please stop squandering my tax dollars and do things to ensure that I don't hit a pot hole and need a new tire and rim. We'll also need snow removal soon. I pray that this bloodlust does not pan out. If private equity will not fund this then practice some actual business sense and take a pass.
I can just see it now. Sal Panto will be the feature Attraction in the Orca section of the aquarium. naw, let's put him in with the Manta Rays. He can sit on the bottom and blow bubbles.
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