July 20, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The Bethlehem Co-Op Boondoggle will meet tonight, and who knows, the board of directors might even set an opening date.
They could do that, they could announce the hiring of a general manager, but one thing they definitely will do is say they need more money.
It never opens but it always needs money. Hmm, where does it all go?
The 15-year-old taxpayer-funded boondoggle has missed several opening dates. It then vowed not to set an opening date until everything was just right. Recently, the Bethlehem Co-Op Market’s social media posts have indicated plans to open “later this year.”
Social media is one place where the No-Op Co-Op is very active. Selling food, no, but social media, yes.
This year is more than half over and so far, the 250 E. Broad St. boondoggle hasn’t sold a single can of peas.
There might be some progress, because tonight’s meeting will actually be at the site, under 42 yuppie-style apartments that somehow opened much faster than the Boondoggle has.
The co-op, which received about $3.1 million from taxpayers but is privately owned, is not a store. It’s a fund-raising operation that was about $800,000 short earlier this year, plus it has debt that was about $1.1 million last year.
So for the true believers and the cynical skeptics, tonight is the chance to hear more about Bethlehem’s favorite money pit. Maybe second-favorite, after Channel 39.
The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Monday, July 20, with in-person and virtual options. See this link for details.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 