One business in Easton is looking toward the stars to grow its outreach, literally.
The city approved Nurture Nature Center’s application for a certificate of appropriateness on Oct. 23., advancing the construction of their $8 million planetarium.
The center, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading environmental education, first announced plans for the planetarium in January.
“It adds another attraction and educational opportunity that people can take advantage of when they’re visiting Easton, or if they live in Easton,” said Kim Kmetz, the director of development at Nurture Nature Center.
According to Rachel Hogan Carr, the executive director of the Nurture Nature Center, construction will begin in June 2025 and will be completed by December 2026. The new space will then open to the public sometime in 2027.
This September, the center also received a $4 million grant from the federal government’s Economic Development Administration, according to a September article by Lehigh Valley Live. The Nurture Nature Foundation, the center’s sister organization, agreed to match the grant with private funds, raising the total project budget to $7.97 million, per the article.
According to the certificate’s resolution, current construction plans include demolishing the existing one-story addition and community garden to make room for the planetarium theater. The center’s parking lot will also be renovated to incorporate urban garden spaces.
Carr said that the new immersive planetarium theater will seat approximately 75 people.
“They can show a wide range of environmental topics, but also do planetary science the way a planetarium does,” said Carr, adding that the space could also double as a performance theater.
Kmetz — the former director of the Easton Main Street Initiative, a volunteer-driven downtown revitalization program — noted the center’s positive impact on the city.
“This organization, this facility, holds a very important place in Easton’s community, in the community of the Lehigh Valley,” Kmetz said.
Rebecca Capone ‘27, an intern for the Nurture Nature Center, said that the planetarium will also feature ambient sound and a new HVAC system.
“The planetarium was something that I think a lot of people wanted,” Capone said. “They took that feedback and they’re trying to make it into something that everyone would use and enjoy.”
“We’re really excited to be able to expand our operation and add to the incredible suite of science and art exhibits and programs that we already offer,” Carr said.
