A data center is proposed in south Allentown. Here is what we know about the plan
Allentown is considering its first data center conversion project at 2401 W. Emmaus Ave., which involves adding to an already approved warehouse. Simultaneously, the City Council is reviewing a proposed ordinance to regulate where data centers can be built, although the current proposal would not apply to the Emmaus Avenue project due to its submission timing.
Allentown, Pennsylvania, is currently reviewing plans for its first proposed data center, a conversion project located at 2401 W. Emmaus Ave. Developers, who broke ground on a 224,000-square-foot warehouse on the site in 2024, have applied for a 23,342-square-foot addition to transform the building into a data center. The application is on the June 9 city planning commission agenda, though City Planning Director Jennifer Gomez stated the review is ongoing.
In response to the broader increase in data center development and local opposition in the Lehigh Valley, Allentown's Environmental Advisory Council and city staff are also working on a proposed ordinance to regulate data centers. This ordinance, which could be voted on by City Council on June 3 after a public hearing, would restrict data centers to two industrial zoning districts, require setbacks from public streets and residential areas, and mandate thorough environmental, noise, and waterway studies. However, officials noted that the Emmaus Avenue project's application was submitted before the proposed ordinance, meaning its provisions would not apply to that specific development.