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.

Lehigh Valley International Airport saw its highest passenger traffic for May since 2004, with more than 85,000 passengers through the gates, a release said Monday.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's LGBTQ Business Council on Tuesday held an event at the Mediterranean Grill in Bethlehem to teach people how to make workplaces and businesses more inclusive.

Home sale prices in Lehigh and Northampton counties neared all-time highs last month, with an average of $333,275 — up 5.8 percent from May 2023, according to the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors.

The Lehigh Valley ranks as the eighth-highest industrial market in the U.S., it was disclosed at a Lehigh Valley Planning Commission roundtable meeting on Friday.

County Manager Lamont McClure said in a statement that the union had approved the new agreement that came after a negotiation session Monday.

The years-long process to connect Lower Macungie warehouses more directly with Route 100 is nearing completion, with some hoping it can alleviate damaging truck detours.

The new Sheetz off Route 378 will consist of a 6,139-square-foot store with drive-thru and 12 fueling stations, according to designs approved by township officials Wednesday.

A continuance was granted for the sixth time this year to Paxos Group real estate company for a hearing before the Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board on charges it has violated a zoning ordinance prohibiting the renting or leasing of condominiums as apartments on Arey Lane.

For a chance to win a gift card to each participating restaurant, snap a photo of your meal, post it to the Visit Historic Bethlehem Instagram and/or Facebook pages, and tag that particular restaurant you’re dining at.

Lowhill Township lost an appeal to a deemed approval for a warehouse plan on Betz Court. But about a week earlier, the state DEP preliminarily denied a permit for that same warehouse plan.

Rob Vaughn joined Channel 69 in 1987 and has anchored thousands of Lehigh Valley news programs. He announced his retirement to viewers in the 5 p.m. news broadcast Friday.

South Whitehall Planning Commission recommended final approval for Phase 1C of Ridge Farms, a development that would include housing, shops and outdoor eateries.