ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Allentown City Council voted Wednesday night to refer two proposed amendments to the 2022 American Rescue Plan Act budget to a special committee of council.
The proposals are to transfer $1.5 million to Da Vinci Science Center and $1.5 million to Coca-Cola Park for COVID-19 safety improvements and required facility updates.
The bill proposing $1.5 million in funding for the Da Vinci Science Center says the money will be used to support the development of its new 67,292-square-foot science center in downtown Allentown.
Funding will be used for enhancements to the HVAC system in the new facility to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and for the construction and outfitting of the Da Vinci STEAM Learning Center to provide educational programs which address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Allentown students, the bill says.
It also states that Da Vinci has raised $64 million for the overall project from public and private sources, with over $40 million from outside the region to be invested in Allentown.
The proposed $1.5 million for Coca-Cola Park, home to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, comes as the deadline looms for upgrades to the facility required by Major League Baseball. The required changes must be made to the stadium by April 2023 in order for Minor League Baseball to continue using the facility.
In addition to those upgrades, City Council is proposing to use the funding to make improvements related to COVID-19 safety.
The bill states that the enhancements include a new entrance behind center field to alleviate pedestrian usage on Iron Pigs Way, an upgraded air purification system, improved players’ clubhouse facilities to allow for better social distancing (original clubhouse accommodation was for 30 players each and the current need is for 55-60 players per clubhouse), cashless points of sale, and accommodations for female coaches and other female personnel.
Other sources of funding for the upgrades at the stadium include $2 million from the State of Pennsylvania through Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funding, $1.5 million from Lehigh County American Rescue Plan Act funds, and $200,000 in various grants from Northampton County.
Both funding proposals for Da Vinci Science Center and Coca-Cola Park had previously appeared on a City Council meeting agenda, but had been tabled at that time.
City Council President Cynthia Mota said the date and time for the special committee meeting to review the bills has not yet been determined.
