Officials of the City of Easton and the Da Vinci Science Center have announced that they have signed a one-year Memorandum of Understanding to explore the feasibility of building a science center and aquarium complex in the city’s waterfront area.

Easton officials also announced an agreement to purchase the Days Inn Hotel and property at South Third Street and Larry Holmes Drive as a site for the proposed complex. The Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement of Sale were approved at a special meeting of the Easton City Council Nov. 28.

The proposed $130-million project is touted as a driver of economic activity for downtown Easton and is envisioned to be a new tourist attraction for the Lehigh Valley. The proposed 170,000-square-foot complex, tentatively called Da Vinci Science City, is expected to complement the Da Vinci Science Center, Hamilton and Cedar Crest boulevards, Allentown, which would be re-focused as a Children’s Discovery Center for ages 8 and under.

“We are delighted to partner with the City of Easton to develop a contemporary, state-of-the-art science center and aquarium that will help position the Lehigh Valley region as a leader in STEAM education, prepare our young people for growing jobs in technical fields, and ensure that individuals of all ages can thrive in a world where science and technology pervade their everyday lives,” said Lin Erickson, Da Vinci Science Center Executive Director and CEO.

“Da Vinci Science City will be a major asset for the entire Lehigh Valley as an investment in youth and education, the STEM workforce pipeline, and economic development,” Erickson said.

Da Vinci Science City is projected to attract more than 600,000 visitors annually, create 200 permanent full-time equivalent jobs with an emphasis on hiring Easton residents and produce $45 million in direct economic activity and $100 million in total economic activity annually.

“The opportunity to host the proposed Da Vinci Science City represents an enormous investment in education, tourism, and economic development for the City of Easton, Northampton County and beyond,” said Easton Mayor Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. at a Nov. 29 Easton press conference.

Da Vinci Science City is projected to be a state-of-the-art science center with permanent and traveling exhibit galleries, the largest public aquarium in Pennsylvania, a Creativity Studio public workshop space, an immersive giant screen theater, and a destination aquarium restaurant and event center. The facility would provide hands-on experiences to promote curiosity, creativity, innovation and the integration of art and design with traditional STEM concepts of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“It is a game-changing opportunity to position Easton and the Lehigh Valley as a family-friendly destination for the 60 million people of the Mid-Atlantic region. We could not be more excited to partner with the Da Vinci Science Center in this transformative project,” said Panto.

In the Memorandum of Understanding, Easton pledged to fund 25 percent of the project cost up to $30 million. The city and the Da Vinci Science Center will work over the next year to secure funding for the project. Officials will assess the size, scope, cost and feasibility of the project.

The Da Vinci Science Center’s feasibility study is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Da Vinci Science City concept was developed by the Da Vinci Science Center in response to the rapidly growing demand for educational programs in the STEAM subjects of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. The Da Vinci Science Center’s annual visits and program participation has increased 73 percent from 2011-2016. The organization plans to expand its outreach programming with an emphasis on inspiring underserved students.

The Da Vinci Science Center is a national award-winning nonprofit organization founded in 1992.

Easton, at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers, is home to the Crayola Experience and Lafayette College.