Business News

A Lehigh Valley Planning Commission committee met Tuesday to go over regulations under consideration in Lowhill, Bushkill, Washington and Plainfield townships.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, secured almost $3.7 million in federal funding to support the first phase of a project to redevelop the former Iron Works site in Catasauqua.

Officials and executives at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation's annual meeting Tuesday pulled back the curtains on Eli Lilly's decision to open in the region.

PPL Electric said it expects electric demand on its system could triple over the next decade. That growth is being driven largely by expansion of advanced manufacturing, new data centers and other large industrial electricity users.

Municipalities should work to plan for data centers that can cover millions of square feet and reshape local economies, according to regional officials.

PBS39 will broadcast a special, hourlong community forum tonight on data centers — their demand, their needs and their potential impact on the Lehigh Valley.

The project, known as The Shoppes at Hamilton, would include 318 apartments, a 160-room hotel and roughly 20,000 square feet of retail space.

The Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority learned Wednesday night that plans that would have changed the taxing district's borders did not pan out.

Officials are looking to secure a developer to build a mixed-use space at a property that features a large parking lot and a 7-Eleven built almost a half-century ago.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2026-27 budget proposal falls back on familiar proposals to regulate skill games and legalize marijuana, two flashpoints that fueled a months-long budget impasse last year.

There's still a ways to go before developers know what will be going inside the historic Wells Fargo bank building at 52 W. Broad St., according to Plamen “Rocco” Ayvazov, head of Monocacy Builders, the property owner.

After a decade of business, the restaurant inside the Renaissance Allentown Hotel is expanding its regional sourcing and guest experience with a new culinary concept and revamped interior. Director of Culinary and Restaurant Operations Nick Vogel said he intends to let local ingredients "shine" in the restaurant's four seasonal menus.

A proposed property tax rebate for senior citizens, drawn from hybrid police patrol vehicle fuel savings, will have to wait to be voted on until Jan. 2026.

Two North Whitehall Township supervisors on Wednesday rejected a challenge to township zoning rules surrounding at-home auto repair businesses. It's far from the end of a legal fight over whether township resident Gene Weierbach's business should be allowed to operate.

Community Bike Works in Easton is celebrating the 30th year of its Earn a Bike program. Low-income families from the Lehigh Valley can become eligible to get a bike by signing up online or in person for the 24-hour mentoring program.

Easton officials announced the launch of nonprofit HOME Easton and the start of a new Landlord-Tenant Engagement Program on Wednesday, with the goal to address affordable housing and improve the rental scene in the city.

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.