Property Sold, Ground Broken for
John M. Cook Technology Center
on Bethlehem's South Side
For Immediate Release
Public Relations Division
Public Affairs Department
1170 Eighth Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18016-7699
(610) 694-3711 - Phone
(610) 694-1509 - Fax
The center will be constructed on land sold by Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Bethlehem Development Corporation subsidiary to a consortium of Lehigh Valley economic development agencies. The sale of the four-acre tract of land was completed last week.
Both Tech Center I and the new Tech Center II are named in the memory of John M. Cook, former executive director of Northampton County Development Corporation and a long-time economic development leader.
Tech Center II, which will cost about $3 million, will be located next to the existing Technology Center that opened in 1993 and is fully occupied by about 100 employees working for five firms engaged in a variety of high-technology applications. The first tenant of the new Tech Center II will be STC Technologies, Inc., a privately held company that develops, manufactures and markets proprietary clinical diagnostic tests and medical devices for the health care industry. The center will open in November and contain more than 35,000 square feet of space.
Spearheading the creation of Tech Center II were the Northampton County New Jobs Corps and the Industrial Development Corporation of Northampton County working under the auspices of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) and the Ben Franklin Technology Center. Bethlehem Steel Corporation, the City of Bethlehem and Northampton County also worked on the Tech Center II project.
"The Lehigh Valley is proud of its past but has a strong vision for its future," said Thomas A. Kucharski, CED, president and chief operating officer, LVEDC. "Technology is a major component of that vision for the region's success in the future global marketplace and a priority for our business attraction efforts. The John M. Cook Technology Center embodies this vision and the dedication and entrepreneurial spirit of Jack Cook in a manner that will allow industries of the future to grow and prosper in the Lehigh Valley," he said.
The sale of the property helps the City further expand its job base, "particularly on the South Side of Bethlehem as Bethlehem Steel moves forward with the Bethlehem Works and Bethlehem Commerce Center projects," said Stephen G. Donches, vice president, public affairs, Bethlehem Steel, and president, Bethlehem Development Corporation. "We have enjoyed a strong and supportive relationship with LVEDC, BEDCO and the City of Bethlehem, and, through our collective efforts, this project is becoming a reality. Bethlehem Steel is leading the revitalization of South Bethlehem by working closely with these economic development organizations and developers interested in various projects on the 1,800-acre site," Mr. Donches said.
Commenting on the benefit of high-tech jobs, Bethlehem Mayor Don Cunningham said that the Cook Center "is a symbol of the revitalization of Bethlehem's economy and the redevelopment of the South Side's industrial base. The high-tech businesses housed in the John M. Cook Technology Center will be cornerstones for future growth on Bethlehem's South Side," Mayor Cunningham said.
Attending today's groundbreaking ceremony were employees of STC Technologies, various public agencies and governmental bodies and business leaders involved in economic development and the South Side of the City of Bethlehem.