News Summary

SPRINGFIELD — Closed manufacturing plants, brownfields and a university in town.

It might sound like Springfield, but that also describes Bethlehem, Pa.

That's why the Center City Association asked Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan to speak at its annual meeting Thursday, May 8.

"He comes to us as someone in the same battle, working for the same goals we are," Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland said.

Callahan spoke to Center City two years ago.

Since then, Bethlehem, which suffered from steel plant closings, has been named by several magazines as a top place to live.

The city is a few years ahead of Springfield in its revitalization plans, Callahan said.

His main message was to keep the faith.

"Stay the course," Callahan said. "You are on the cusp of great things but it does take time."

One of the keys to reviving Bethlehem was partnerships among the city, state, businesses and Lehigh University.

Bringing students out of the isolated campus and into town was critical, Callahan said.

Springfield needs to do the same with Wittenberg University, he said. Current Wittenberg president, Mark Erickson, served at Lehigh and worked with Callahan.

"I can't stress enough how important Lehigh was and how important Wittenberg will be to what happens," Callahan said.

Small-scale projects, he said, such as improving building facades one at a time, also are important but that can take time.

Springfield is on the right path, he said, it just needs to keep at it.

Tom Franzen, Center City board president, liked Callahan's message.

"We wanted to encourage the community to keep moving and keep believing that this can happen," he said.

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