Plans are underway for a new facility for Spartanburg's Bethlehem Center

Anyone can tell you that Allison Suber takes her work seriously at the Bethlehem Center. She sees firsthand the need for a new facility for the many children who go there from the Highland community and the surrounding areas.

There are early childhood development programs and after-school homework support classes. A summer camp recently got underway to serve 60 youngsters.

Suber pointed out classrooms where kids take art lessons, tackle STEM activities, and work on language skills. There are programs for senior citizens, too.

Suber is proud of the Bethlehem Center. That’s why she hopes the city can raise money for the construction of a new center.

“We love this building – it’s been good to us,” she said. “But we need a new facility.”

Classroom space in the 75-year-old building is cramped.

The basketball gym has an uneven tile floor and only one goal. There’s an area where the ceiling leaks.

A new facility would help to shore up basic needs while providing space to serve more people in need. “It’s an incredible opportunity to expand our impact in the Highland and overall Spartanburg community,” said Executive Director Patrena Mims.

Movement 2030, an initiative of the Spartanburg Academic Movement to address neighborhood-level challenges that impact children and families, has committed $11 million for a new Bethlehem Center, according to Mims.

And Spartanburg City Council recently agreed to donate a vacant lot at the corner of Highland and Daniel Morgan avenues for a new facility. The property is located a short distance from the existing Bethlehem Center.

Mims said a capital campaign will get underway in the coming months. The fundraising goal is unspecified at this point because architectural plans haven’t yet been finalized.

City of Spartanburg Communications Manager Christopher George said city leaders hope the contribution of land “will help (Bethlehem Center advocates) make their case.”

At the May 27 city council meeting, City Manager Chris Story said the transfer of property might be followed by additional support for the project, although a financial contribution was not discussed during the meeting.

George said the Bethlehem Center complements the publicly owned recreation centers serving Spartanburg’s inner city – T.K. Gregg and C.C. Woodson.  

“It’s like a city community center but run by a non-profit organization,” he said.

Moreover, the Bethlehem Center "is an institution in the Highland neighborhood,” a predominantly Black, low-income community that’s in the midst of a transition.

For many years, Highland was home to the Cammie Clagett Courts, one of Spartanburg’s largest public housing complexes. The apartments were vacated in 2014 and later torn down.

The property the city has made available for the Bethlehem Center was once part of Cammie Clagett.

The nearby Norris Ridge Apartments, a Section 8 complex deemed “substandard” by the city, have also been closed.

A detailed transformation plan, approved by the city in 2020, addresses housing needs, transportation challenges, crime, and access to retail establishments.

Mims thinks construction of a new Bethlehem Center is one of the essential pieces of the puzzle for a stronger Highland community.

As she put it, “The Bethlehem Center serves as the North Star for the Highland neighborhood.