Noting its proximity to county-owned Coca Cola Park, Lehigh County Commissioners Chair Geoff Brace on Wednesday signaled that his board will seek to have a say in the proposed development of a data center in Allentown’s East Side.
Developer J.G. Petrucci on Aug. 5 applied to construct a 146,000-square-foot data center at 1024 N. Bradford St., next to the ballpark and Executive Education Academy Charter School. The developers submitted the application the same day City Council approved stricter requirements for where data centers can be built in the city.
Brace said that he asked the county law department to look into how the board of commissioners, or the county, may become an interested party during the land development process. The designation would give the county or board legal standing to gather information and participate in proceedings.
“We don’t get involved in a lot of land development conversations in county government. Those are municipal conversations. But periodically, we are interested parties because we own land in proximity to certain properties, and their development and use becomes of interest to us,” Brace said.
“In this case, Coca-Cola Park is a significant commercial venture, a significant real estate holding of the county, and I want to make sure that the county is doing everything it needs to do to preserve interests as that development plan proceeds.”
There was no vote Wednesday on Brace’s statement, which may have to go through committee before being acted on.
Developers said previously that if approved, they expect to begin construction in spring 2027 and complete the facility in winter 2027.