Business News

City planners meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at Bethlehem Town Hall, 10 E. Church St. The proposal for the former Wells Fargo is listed fourth on an agenda of five items.

Lehigh Valley residents attended a state Public Utility Commission hearing on Tuesday to oppose a proposed rate increase by PPL Electric Utilities. It would be the first rate increase in almost a decade.

Testimony began Monday in hearings that could decide what sort of businesses are allowed at homes throughout North Whitehall Township — and whether one resident’s long-running car repair business can keep operating.

The developer behind a proposed 37-story skyscraper in Allentown asked planning officials for another delay.

Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners approved a $36.7 million budget for 2026 Monday. Several residents attended the meeting to oppose the real estate tax increase, the first in the township since 2019.

The Allentown Parking Authority, state Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, and the City of Allentown have opened a request for proposals for the redevelopment of the 100 block of North Seventh Street.

Northampton County Council passed its $503 million budget for 2026 Thursday night, keeping taxes stable for the eighth year in a row.

General real estate taxes will stay flat in South Whitehall Township next year, its fire tax will rise 0.28 of a mill and residents will see a new 0.1% income tax to fund open space preservation.

The Lehigh Valley is projected to have significant increases in employment and population up to 2050.

After more than a year of meetings, plan review and expert testimony, Easton Planning Commission on Wednesday denied an application for a million-square-foot warehouse at 1525 Wood Ave.

Following a month of community voting and judgement from a panel of professionals, ThreeBirds Coffee is officially the nation's second best independent coffee shop.

StartUp Lehigh Valley, a "Shark Tank"-esque contest where startup founders pitch their companies to a panel of judges, awarded more than $33,000 in all to a handful of winners Tuesday night.

"Monster Mini Golf" is set to come to the Lehigh Valley, with construction started according to an announcement by the company's Facebook page.

Previously aiming for a 2024 opening, a “final piece of the puzzle” for Bethlehem Co-Op Market includes purchasing equipment, such as refrigerators, freezers, shelving and more essentials to outfit the space at 250 E. Broad St.

A ballot question will allow Allentown residents to weigh in on whether city council should have the power to raise the deed transfer tax. The city's Home Rule Charter has locked the tax at its current rate for decades.

Project executive Joe Petrucci, of J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc., said a local business of prominence is “in need of about 200,000 square feet of cold storage space,” and is targeted to set up shop in the larger of the two facilities if the overall proposal later goes through.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Easton reporter Brian Myszkowski and environment and science reporter Molly Bilinski.

As of Friday, many airports had reopened and were resuming operations post-Milton, restarting flights from the Lehigh Valley to nonstop destinations in Florida. But at least one airport remained closed.

The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. held its Fall Signature Event on Oct. 10, 2024, featuring a panel focused on cultivating and attracting top talent for the area's tech industry.

The Watson-Batts School of construction is partnering with St. Luke's to offer better health outcomes through workforce development. The school teaches young entrepreneurs and business owners about how to grow their businesses.

Kenneth and Heather Skorinko plan for a distillery and tasting room on part of their rural farmland on 1990 Neffs Laurys Road. Objectors worry about noise and traffic at the proposed "farm to glass" distillery.

Easton City Council approved a $1.5 million sale for the former Easton Iron and Metal site to VM Development Group, with the developer planning to build housing and commercial space.