Bethlehem Co-Op (Still Not Open) to Hold a Tour on Tuesday; Hey, What Do You Expect for $3 Million?

June 23, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

The Bethlehem Co-Op is not open, but it’s offering tours on Tuesday.

The event will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. — no children — at the 250 E. Broad St. store that has never been open.

This is the non-operating Co-Operative that has taken in $3 million of public money and was supposed to open about three years go.

Public funding for a retail store?

It’s a mind-boggling boondoggle.

The Co-Op has blamed lots of things, including the usual suspects — the pandemic and inflation — for its problems. It also noted “funding complexities” which suggests the organization sought $2.9 million in federal money and didn’t understand how reimbursement grants work.

It’s not open. It needs money. This organization deserves scrutiny, not more puffery. The people who put up $300 deserves answers too.

From their website:

This will be our last Tuesday Tour before construction begins again in earnest, and we’re making it an extra special one!

Current and future member-owners are invited to come for a tour of our future store space at 250 E. Broad St., between 6-8 PM.

At 6:30 PM we’ll gather for an informal, ‘pop-up’ Town Hall to share the state of the co-op, and provide details about our fundraising efforts. Get all of your questions answered about where we’re headed, and what we need to get there.

We’re sweetening the deal by offering some fun door prizes from local vendors and businesses. We hope to see you!

Because this is a construction site, no children are allowed for this event.

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I can’t go on Tuesday, and as neither a current and sure as heck not future member (I’m not giving this mess $300) I’m not eligible.

It’s time for the people who believed in the Co-Op to start demanding answers.

This organization promised the world and has yet to deliver one bag of carrots, while taking $3 million total, state and federal, from taxpayers.

This is nuts.