A new Lehigh Valley data center is proposed in place of a million-square-foot warehouse

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) has received a new data center plan for Allen Township, Pennsylvania. The proposal involves converting a 1 million-square-foot warehouse, owned by logistics real estate company Prologis at 2500 Liberty Drive, into a data center. The LVPC’s Comprehensive Planning Committee is scheduled to discuss a draft review letter for the project. If approved by the committee, the letter will proceed to the full LVPC for consideration. Allen Township’s Board of Supervisors previously approved an amended preliminary/final land development plan for the project in March. Jill Seitz, LVPC Chief Community and Regional Planner, authored the draft letter, supporting the repurposing of an industrial building in line with the commission’s master plan, Future LV. However, Seitz noted significant differences in operational characteristics and impacts between a warehouse and a data center, such as electrical infrastructure, cooling systems, backup generation, security, and utility demands. The LVPC expressed its inability to fully assess several aspects of the proposal without further clarification from the applicant. Key issues highlighted by the LVPC that require additional information include water and sewer service providers and consumption, details on generators and outdoor equipment, and analyses for traffic, noise, and emergency response. The LVPC also strongly recommended that Allen Township refine its zoning ordinance definitions and regulations for data centers beyond this specific project. Additionally, the committee plans to review proposed data center ordinances from Allentown, Moore Township, Lower Nazareth Township, and Lower Macungie Township, following community pushback against data center plans in Upper Macungie and South Whitehall townships.