The Future of Nazareth?

Northampton Community College's Neighborhood Design Center's Open House - Partnership with Nazareth was held last night and a large crowd was on hand to see the work of the students and learn more about the four point approach to community development.

The four point approach will be used by the Nazareth Downtown Association and features (in a nutshell) organization (forming a 501(c)(3) and implementing its strategic plan), design (what we saw last night, having aspirations and ideas), economic restructuring (providing resources and assistance), and promotion (communicating the happenings of the community).

Despite the rain, the property at 113 South Main Street (space was donated by Mark Metzgar), was not only packed with people, but ideas and visions of what Nazareth could look like.

Student projects included scale 'diaromas' of current features, like the Circle including the buildings surrounding it, and future potential structures, like the parking garage and new retail shops around an expanded municipal building on South Main (from Main to Walnut to Green). Others featured entire blocks of Nazareth with photos next to drawings that had enhanced elements, new colors, trees, and lightposts resembling those at the Circle and now installed along Franklin Street. There were also interior layouts like you'd see on design shows on TV. The Java Lounge at the Nazareth News Agency had at least five floor plans along with swatches of materials, colors, and pictures of elements that could be used inside to enhance the look and feel.

One of particular interest was the redesign of 30 Belvidere into a Community Theatre. The students not only redesigned the current building, but did so after having studied Bethlehem's Touchstone Theatre. The student design included a theatre, office space and a coffeeshop if I overheard the full description correctly.

All in all I was quite impressed (and no I don't impress easily;-) with the work the students did.

Thanks to Ken Trionfo of the Community College for bringing this project to Nazareth and presenting it within the community for all to see and thanks to my daughter Alexa who took the photos while I talked.