This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
The impact of Lafayette as an economic engine will be explored in “Lehigh Valley at Work,” a half-hour, quarterly program that looks at area businesses, business growth, and employment issues. Produced by Lehigh Valley PBS station WLVT (Channel 39), the segment will air 7:30 p.m. today.
President Arthur J. Rothkopf ’55 was interviewed for the program about the role Lafayette plays in the local economy. The show will also focus on Lafayette’s investment of nearly $9 million to revitalize downtown Easton, which has helped the city obtain a state grant of $9 million for the Bushkill Creek Corridor and Village project.
In a ceremony at Lafayette’s Williams Visual Arts Building last month, Gov. Edward G. Rendell presented Easton Mayor Phil Mitman with a check for the Bushkill Creek Corridor and Village project. This initiative, a joint effort of Easton and Lafayette, combines economic development, environmental improvement, and recreational facilities to revitalize an area that is a highly traveled and visible entranceway to the College, the city, and the commonwealth.
The ambitious project includes improvements to North Third Street (known as Bushkill Village) and two contiguous areas, the industrial tract along Bushkill Drive and the Bushkill Creek and the former Simon Silk Mill site on North 13th Street.
Lafayette has led the effort by investing nearly $9 million to revitalize North Third Street, with more investment to come. The cornerstone is the award-winning, $4.5 million Williams Visual Arts Building, one of the leading high-tech facilities for art education and exhibitions in the nation, which not only serves Lafayette students, but offers ongoing programs for local residents and high school students as well.
Lafayette’s role in revitalizing Easton began with the College’s collaboration in the development of Two Rivers Landing Visitors Center, which opened in 1996. Students in the Technology Clinic developed and installed an impaired-driving simulator in the Weller Health Education Center and played a key role in developing plans for the adaptation of the Bachmann Publick House into an Early American history and heritage center.