City Development Tracker | Tim Tepes, Lehigh Valley Real Estate
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Monthly Tracker October 2026 Edition

City Development Tracker

Development projects, rezoning, road and infrastructure plans, and municipal decisions across the Lehigh Valley communities Tim Tepes serves, verified with source links every month.

What happened in the Lehigh Valley's communities this month

This tracker rounds up the past month's development activity in the communities Tim Tepes serves: Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Nazareth, Northampton, Whitehall, Parkland, Palmer, Forks, Upper Saucon, South Whitehall, Lower Macungie, Catasauqua, the Slate Belt boroughs, and Carbon County. It covers new development projects, rezoning and zoning requests, road and infrastructure plans, and city and township council decisions. Every item is verified against the linked source and summarized in two parts: what it is, and what it could mean for homeowners and the local real estate market.

Entries describe decisions factually and in neutral language. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell, and no statement reflects on any neighborhood, school, or group of residents. Older editions move to the archive below so the page stays current and easy to scan.

This Edition
Coverage window
September 18 - October 18, 2026
Items tracked
16
Verified against sources
October 18, 2026
Next edition
November 2026

Housing & Mixed-Use Development

New residential projects, zoning changes that shape housing, and land-development rule updates from the past month.

Allentown October 12, 2026

Allentown's proposed 37-story Peregrine Tower clears its zoning hurdle

What it is

The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board approved the variance needed for Peregrine Tower, developer Umran Global Investment's proposed 37-story mixed-use apartment building at 90 S. Ninth St. If built, it would be the tallest building in the Lehigh Valley, above the PPL Building. The proposal first went before the Allentown Planning Commission on Sept. 8, when the city took additional time to review the 'pencil tower' plans.

What it could mean

The tower would add a large block of for-lease apartments and ground-floor space in the downtown core, putting an underused block to denser use. It remains in the approval pipeline: a zoning variance is not the same as full land development approval, and no construction timeline has been announced.

Sources
Palmer Township September 9, 2026

Palmer Township endorses 92-townhome first phase of Van Buren West

What it is

The Palmer Township Planning Commission endorsed the first phase of Van Buren West, 92 townhomes on a site whose full plan includes about 320 apartments. The project follows a court settlement between the township and developer Abe Atiyeh, whose rights were sold to Greystone Capital (Lou Pektor). The plan next goes to the Board of Supervisors.

What it could mean

The development brings a mix of for-sale townhomes and market-rate apartments to the Easton-adjacent township, adding both ownership and rental supply to the local market as its phases build out.

Sources
Easton September 2026

Easton circulates draft zoning text amendments

What it is

The city is drafting amendments to Chapter 595 of its zoning ordinance. An Aug. 26 draft was shared at the Sept. 2 Planning Commission meeting, with a revised Sept. 15 draft in circulation. The city's Zoning Hearing Board continues its meeting schedule with a session on Oct. 19.

What it could mean

Zoning text amendments can change which uses are permitted and where across the city, affecting future development applications and property owners' options. This is still a draft under municipal review; no adoption vote has been reported.

Sources
Northampton County October 1, 2026

Northampton County advances Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance amendments

What it is

Ordinance 792-2026, amending the county's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO), was scheduled for public hearing and possible vote at the Oct. 1 County Council meeting, per the Sept. 17 council minutes.

What it could mean

SALDO rules govern how subdivisions and land developments are reviewed at the county level. Changes can alter the review path and requirements for new development in the county's review area, which matters to anyone tracking or planning a project.

Sources

Data Centers & Commercial

Data center approvals, zoning rules, and regional reviews that determine where large commercial uses can go.

Allentown October 13, 2026

South Allentown data center gets conditional approval

What it is

The Allentown Planning Commission granted conditional approval to convert a 224,000-square-foot warehouse on Emaus Avenue into a 75-megawatt data center. Amended plans were reviewed at the Sept. 8 meeting, and approval came despite public opposition from nearby residents, businesses, and the Camelot for Children nonprofit.

What it could mean

The project reuses an existing industrial building, keeping a large property productive without ground-up construction. Conditional approvals typically carry operating conditions covering items such as noise, generators, and traffic; those conditions are public and can be reviewed through the city.

Sources
Bethlehem October 6, 2026

Bethlehem's data center zoning rules pass first vote 7-0

What it is

Bethlehem City Council held a public hearing and passed first reading of Bill 28-2026, zoning rules that would allow data centers only as a special exception in the Industrial (IN) district, with site-design standards and a 1,000-foot setback from residential zoning. The debate was prompted by Boyle Construction's proposed two-story, 65,000-square-foot data center at 2184 Industrial Drive (the former Crowder Service Center in LVIP I). Under the proposed rules, that project would be exempt because the site sits in the Planned Industrial district. A final vote is scheduled for Oct. 20.

What it could mean

If adopted, the ordinance gives the city clear, citywide rules for where data centers can locate, with a defined buffer from residential zones and a public review path through the special-exception process.

Sources
South Whitehall Township September 23, 2026

South Whitehall's Project Atlas data center gets its first planning review

What it is

South Whitehall Township's Planning Commission held a special meeting on Sept. 23 with a developer presentation and public comment on 'Project Atlas,' a proposed data center on about 410 acres of Jeras Corp. land across from Parkland High School.

What it could mean

This would be one of the largest data center campuses proposed in Lehigh County. Review is at the early planning stage, no approvals have been granted, and the outcome will be determined through the township's land development process, which residents can follow through public meetings.

Sources
Lehigh Valley September 22, 2026

LVPC reviews two data center proposals regionally

What it is

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission reviewed two data center proposals at its Sept. 22 meeting: an Allentown plan by J.G. Petrucci (about 146,000 square feet with an electrical substation) and the Bethlehem plan. LVPC found the Allentown submission lacked project-specific detail and flagged open questions on the Bethlehem submission. LVPC's role is advisory; municipalities hold final approval.

What it could mean

LVPC review is one step in the pipeline for major industrial uses. Its recommendations inform but do not bind municipal decisions, so the binding outcomes for homeowners come from each municipality's own land development process.

Sources

Transportation & Infrastructure

Road projects, bridge work, and public infrastructure spending announced or underway in the past month.

Bethlehem September 24, 2026

Route 378 repaving in Bethlehem starts under the state's rapid-deployment program

What it is

PennDOT's $12.9 million repaving of Route 378 between Route 22 and the Hill-to-Hill Bridge is part of the state's 79 'Rapid Deployment Projects' announced Sept. 24 and began ahead of schedule. Work includes milling and paving, concrete patching, base repairs, bridge deck repairs and overlays, guide rail upgrades, and new pavement markings, with completion expected by 2028.

What it could mean

Staged lane closures will slow one of Bethlehem's busiest commuter corridors during the work window. When complete, the project renews pavement, drainage, and bridge deck on a main route between Allentown, Bethlehem, and the South Side.

Sources
Bethlehem / Hanover October 15, 2026

Route 191/Route 22 improvement project enters preliminary engineering

What it is

PennDOT updated the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study on the estimated $115 million Route 191/Route 22 improvement project, which has moved into preliminary engineering with final design scheduled for completion in 2031. The plan lengthens Route 22's westbound acceleration and eastbound deceleration lanes across bridges over Route 191, Monocacy Creek, and the Norfolk Southern Railroad, with those bridges replaced at higher railroad clearance.

What it could mean

This is a long-horizon project that will ultimately change the Route 22/191 interchange, one of the valley's busiest access points. Near-term traffic impacts remain limited while the project is in design.

Sources
Bethlehem Township September 14 - December 18, 2026

Church Road reconstruction underway in Bethlehem Township

What it is

Roadway improvements on Church Road between Country Club Road and William Penn Highway began Sept. 14 and are scheduled through Dec. 18. The work includes selective tree removal, storm sewer installation, and road reconstruction and paving.

What it could mean

Residents on Church Road should expect periodic lane closures and construction equipment during the window. The project installs storm sewer and rebuilds pavement on a road that carries residential traffic between the two corridors.

Sources
Lehighton October 7, 2026

Lehighton sidewalk ADA improvements receive CDBG funding approval

What it is

Carbon County commissioners approved the Community Development Block Grant bid award for Lehighton sidewalk ADA curb-corner improvements on Bridge Street and South 2nd Street, after tabling the bids on Sept. 17.

What it could mean

The award funds accessible curb corners on a downtown commercial street through federal pass-through dollars, a small, targeted public improvement for pedestrian access in the borough.

Sources

Planning, Zoning & Policy

Regional housing strategy, municipal code changes, and county decisions that shape the market over time.

Lehigh Valley September 24 - October 2, 2026

LVPC housing strategy advances to the Full Commission

What it is

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Housing Supply and Attainability Strategy went before the Full Commission for adoption on Sept. 24. The strategy estimates a regional shortage of 6,073 units (4,033 ownership, 2,040 rental) and roughly 51,000 to 54,000 more homes needed by 2050. LVPC staff briefed Northampton County on Oct. 2, where the county was told to plan for nearly 20,000 more homes by 2050.

What it could mean

The strategy is a regional planning document, not binding zoning, but it signals municipal priorities. Expect more zoning and policy attention on housing supply, attainable ownership, and rental product across the valley in the coming years.

Sources
Lower Macungie Township September 17, 2026

Lower Macungie Township adopts zoning code updates

What it is

The Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted Ordinance 2026-05, amending Chapter 27 of the zoning code. Changes include revised definitions, a prohibition on stucco as an exterior finish, revised fence and accessory-structure rules, removal of certain solar-panel regulations, and tightened temporary-storage rules.

What it could mean

Homeowners planning exterior work such as siding, stucco, fences, sheds, or temporary storage should review the updated code before starting, since the ordinance changes which materials and structures are permitted in the township.

Sources
Jim Thorpe September 23, 2026

Jim Thorpe Zoning Hearing Board denies short-term rental request

What it is

Jim Thorpe's Zoning Hearing Board voted to deny short-term rental approvals, and related parking variances, for three apartments at 66 Broadway.

What it could mean

For owners considering short-term rentals in Jim Thorpe, the denial shows the approval path is not guaranteed. Anyone weighing a short-term rental should review the borough's zoning requirements and Zoning Hearing Board process before buying or converting a property.

Sources
Lehigh / Northampton Counties October 6, 2026

Lehigh and Northampton counties formalize a joint review of the LVPC

What it is

The two counties formalized an independent joint review of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Oct. 6, after county leaders publicly questioned the agency's spending. The LVPC had requested $1.2 million from Lehigh County and $1.5 million from Northampton County.

What it could mean

The review determines how regional planning, including housing, transportation, and land use, is funded and overseen. Its outcome affects the pace and priorities of the regional planning work that feeds municipal decisions.

Sources

Archive

Past editions move here each month so the tracker above stays current and easy to scan. No archived entries yet: this is the first edition. Starting with the November 2026 edition, the prior month's items will be listed here with their published dates.

The archive begins with the November 2026 edition.

Fair Housing and sources

This tracker uses objective, factual descriptions of public decisions and plans. It includes no subjective commentary about neighborhoods, schools, or residents, and no statement endorses or criticizes any project, applicant, or property type. All real estate in the United States is offered and available to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin, and this page respects the Fair Housing Act throughout.

Every entry links to its primary source: the municipality, county, state agency, or news outlet that reported the decision. Headlines, figures, and timelines are accurate as of October 18, 2026 and can change as projects move through the approval process. The linked sources are the place to confirm anything before acting on it.

Wondering what a project or zoning change means for your property?

Tim Tepes tracks development across Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Nazareth, and the surrounding communities and can help you understand how local decisions affect your home, your street, or your next move.

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