Converting former factories to art spaces isn’t new – but turning an old banana processing facility into one is. This ex-industrial building, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the home of D. Theodoredis & Sons Inc., a Chiquita subsidiary that distributed fruit to markets in the northeastern U.S. The old plant included ripening rooms – where temperature and atomosphere are controlled to keep fruit green as long as possible – and was a receiving point for fruit brought by trains from ports along the eastern seaboard.
The 63,000 square foot plant was repurposed in 1998 as the “Banana Factory,” a community art center that includes galleries, classrooms, studios, and a theater (the “factory” part of the name is a misnomer, but it somehow feels appropriate; I wonder if locals called it that historically.)
I’m working on finding out how long the Theodoredis operation ran, when it was sold to Chiquita, and when it was shuttered. I’d like to hear from you if you know anything about the old banana operation, if you’ve visited the art center, and especially if you can make any before-and-after comparisons. Leave a comment or email me at the link on my “About” page.
Here’s a link to the Banana Factory.
Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman 
