Air Products abandons plan for data center at former Upper Macungie headquarters

Air Products has decided to abandon its ambitious plan to convert its former 194-acre Upper Macungie Township headquarters into a large-scale data center campus. The decision came after the company chose not to appeal the Upper Macungie Township Zoning Hearing Board's rejection of its proposal.

Spokesman Art George confirmed that Air Products let the August 5 appeal deadline pass, stating the company appreciates the engagement of township officials, residents, and other stakeholders. He added that no decisions have been made regarding the future ownership or use of the property. The proposed project involved three data center buildings totaling approximately 2.6 million square feet, repurposing a previous warehouse development concept that had received preliminary approval in 2023 with logistics company Prologis but ultimately fell through.

The zoning board's decision in July followed a May 27 hearing, where it considered if a data center could be a "similar use" within the township's Limited Industrial zoning district. Air Products initially submitted the data center proposal in November 2025, after Upper Macungie had updated its zoning regulations to prohibit data centers in that district. The zoning conflict proved to be the project's primary hurdle, ending the company's second major redevelopment attempt for the property, assessed at $23.2 million.

This outcome occurs as municipalities throughout the Lehigh Valley, including Upper Macungie, continue to tighten or clarify their zoning regulations in response to growing interest in large-scale data center development.