With a nationwide trend for living in neighborhoods where you can “walk to” shopping, eateries, and transit, everything old is new again. From baby boomers who grew up on the outskirts of Philadelphia who are moving back to revitalized urban-suburban cities like Bethlehem, Allentown, Easton, to the money-conscious millennials who find added lifestyle value and benefits cities have to offer; developers are jumping on board to meet the challenge.
We also live in a world where e-commerce and consumer demand for overnight shipping has facilitated the need for storing goods and warehouses are popping up throughout the Lehigh Valley. Many properties currently used for farming were zoned for Industrial Uses decades ago, increasing their value in a competitive market. Since these vast parcels can accommodate the new mega warehouses that have grown from thousands of square feet—to millions, e-commerce, manufacturing and distribution giants including Amazon, Walmart, UPS, Fed Ex, and QVC/HSN, have already taken a piece of the pie in the Valley. This has also created jobs, and since people like to live near their workplace, it has created a demand for housing, single-family as well as apartments, in and out of the cities.
Since the Lehigh Valley offers close proximity to a large network of major roadways and interstates, it benefits both industry and residential communities, not to mention the need for retail and service space, medical facilities, school expansion, transit, and other community amenities.
To get a better comprehension of the project types being driven in response to economic development and lack of residential inventory, here are a few examples of projects Maser Consulting is engineering:
SunCup, City of Bethlehem
JVI, LLC
This manufacturing facility is located on Easton Road in the City of Bethlehem and includes the initial construction of a 178,579 sf manufacturing building on a 13.65-acre site. This project is located on a Brownfield that formerly was used by Bethlehem Steel and Mineral Fiber Specialties. SunCup employs 53 employees for each shift and produces beverages for Institutional users. Deliveries to this site utilize tractor-trailer deliveries from a PennDOT Highway and by train via a rail spur extension from the adjacent Lehigh Valley Rail Management line.
Lehigh Hills Apartments
The KRE Group
To meet the need for upscale residential apartments in the Lehigh Valley, The KRE Group is proposing to add to their existing portfolio of apartment developments with the upcoming construction of the Lehigh Hills project in Upper Macungie Township. The KRE Group has developed similar projects at Madison Farms in Bethlehem Township and Spring View project in South Whitehall and Upper Macungie Townships. The 50+ acre site, currently being used for agriculture, is slated to contain a total of eight buildings (7 apartment buildings and a clubhouse) with 273 apartment dwelling units with typical appurtenant site improvements. The proposed recreation amenities include a clubhouse, fire pit, tot lot, community gardens, dog run, pool, and open space areas. The site was developed utilizing a conservation design approach and preserves 30 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and steep slope areas.
Conclusion
Different factors historically push urban sprawl and demographics. In today’s world, it’s technology, automation, and demand. According to the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVDEC), the Lehigh Valley region “…is one of the fastest-growing industrial markets in the country.” It is geographically positioned in the right place at the right time to reap the benefits that growth will continue to bring.
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Bio: C. Richard Roseberry, PE, AICP
Principal/Geographic Discipline Leader, Civil/Site
Maser Consulting P.A.
Mr. Roseberry has over 30 years of extensive experience in Municipal and Private Development engineering services. His diversified expertise in civil engineering includes roadway and utility design; site layout; permitting; sanitary sewer collection systems and rehabilitation; stormwater management; zoning and land use planning.
Mr. Roseberry is a certified instructor for the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute, a Certified Public Works Manager, Licensed Wastewater Collection System Operator, LEED Green Associate, and is a licensed professional engineer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
