ArtsQuest stages brick-breaking ceremony as Turn & Grind Shop repurposing advances
Ceremonial brick breaking marks progress in transforming the 155-year-old Turn & Grind Shop at SteelStacks into a multi-use arts and events venue.
ArtsQuest has marked a major milestone in its effort to bring new life to an historic building in Bethlehem.
As part of its Re-Imagine That! Capital Campaign, it held a ceremonial brick breaking for the Turn & Grind Shop on the ArtsQuest Campus at SteelStacks.
Formerly Bethlehem Steel‘s No. 2 Machine Shop operations, the 155-year-old, 26,000-square-foot Turn & Grind Shop played a vital role in shaping and finishing massive steel components to exact specifications.
The building is being reimagined into a multi-purpose venue that will support arts programming, large-scale festivals, private events and corporate functions throughout the year.
The LVHN, part of Jefferson Health Turn & Grind Shop will provide expansion space for events like Musikfest, Christkindlmarkt and Oktoberfest, while creating new opportunities for community engagement and regional tourism.
“This building tells a powerful story,” said Kassie Hilgert, president & CEO of ArtsQuest. “The Turn & Grind Shop once helped build the machinery that powered our nation. Today, we’re honoring that legacy by transforming it into a flexible, multi-use space that will bring people together for exhibits, festivals, events and shared experiences.”
The redevelopment of the Turn & Grind Shop, designed by MKSD Architects and developed by Boyle Construction, aims to build on ArtsQuest’s work in adaptive reuse, continuing the transformation of the Bethlehem Steel site into a sustainable arts and cultural campus.
“The vision for the Turn & Grind Shop has always been about honoring the building’s legacy while reimagining how the community will experience it moving forward,” said Todd Chambers, partner at MKSD Architects. “Our design approach preserves the industrial authenticity and architectural character that make this structure so significant, while introducing flexible, modern spaces that will allow the building to evolve into a destination for arts, culture, hospitality and community connection.”
The brick breaking, which allowed guests to tap bricks with ceremonial mini sledgehammers, served as a symbolic nod to both its industrial past and its future.
“From an engineering and construction perspective, it’s been an incredibly rewarding and complex undertaking to work within a 155-year-old building while carefully preserving the integrity and character of the original Turn & Grind Shop,” said Sean Boyle, president of Boyle Construction. “As construction progresses, we’re carefully balancing restoration with innovation and adapting the building in a way that honors its legacy while transforming it into a new venue to support the arts and community experiences for generations to come.”