Here is The Morning Call’s roundup of the most anticipated buildings and other construction projects next year, sorted by category.

Schools

Two school facilities in Allentown are set to make major progress: one, a brand new, $130 million building, and the other, a major $53 million renovation to a high school.

City officials broke ground in November on the Allentown Academy, a K-8 school building on the East Side of Allentown, at the site of the former Allentown State Hospital.

The school is set to open by the 2027-28 school year and will provide 200,000 square feet of academic space to students who live in the East Side. The new school will accommodate the district’s projected growth; its elementary school capacity is 7,700, but enrollment is expected to reach 9,000 students by 2028.

It will also help the district either renovate or replace Harrison Morton Middle School, which is over 150 years old.

The former Allentown State Hospital property is also expected to be the site of a new neighborhood with over 1,000 housing units, according to a plan presented by City Center Group, which owns the land.

Allentown’s Bridgeview Academy, formerly called Building 21, is slated for major changes: The school has relaunched with a focus on artificial intelligence, health care and computer science. The construction of an academic wing will allow the school to expand to host 875 students in grades 6 to 12.

In addition to constructing a two-story academic building, plans include renovating the existing building, and adding a high-school-sized gym that can also function as an auditorium and a Family and Community Resource Center.

The resource center is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2026. Construction would then begin on the Bridgeview Academy academic and athletic additions in spring 2027, with a completion date of summer 2029.

Downtown

Perhaps the most prominent development coming to downtown Allentown is the redesign of Center Square, home to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

The $6.5 million redesign plans would shift Seventh Street down to two lanes and add a bike lane on one side, and eliminate one of the two lanes of Hamilton Street that bisect around the monument at the intersection. The work would create a plaza-type space around the monument that could be used for public events and outdoor seating.

The city began work on the redesign in 2025, and it is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.

Complementing the newly redesigned plaza will be a $35 million renovation of the former Merchants Bank building at 702 Hamilton St., which overlooks Center Square and is owned by City Center. Dubbed 1 Center Square, the vacant building will be refurbished into a four-story, mixed-use structure with offices and retail, and will maintain the facade of the bank with its stone pillars and decorative cornices. City Center received $20 million in tax revenue bonds from the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone to finance the project.

Waterfront

Much-anticipated development at the Lehigh River waterfront also will continue to progress in the new year, though at a slower rate than initially promised.

Two major developers have big plans to redevelop the area from a largely abandoned former industrial site into a vibrant neighborhood.

The Waterfront Development Co., which plans to construct up to 12 buildings, opened the first, a six-story office building called 615 Waterfront, in 2023.

The second, called the River House, is expected to open this March. The $69 million building will feature 201 apartments, retail space on the first floor, parking for residents and other amenities.

Another developer, Urban Residential Properties, also owns swaths of land along the river and is redeveloping them; most notable is its redevelopment of the former Neuweiler Brewery. The $91 million Neuweiler Lofts is rising at the site, which sat abandoned for decades. The project at 401 N. Front St. will include approximately 283 apartments and 40,000 square feet of commercial space.

Developers originally projected that the Neuweiler Lofts would open in 2025, but the project remains under construction. Urban Residential Properties owner John Palumbo did not respond to a request for an updated opening date.

Urban Residential Properties recently received city approval for plans to demolish the former American Atelier furniture factory and replace it with a building featuring 267 apartments, 21,000 square feet of office space and 23,000 square feet of retail/commercial space. Developers have not announced a projected opening date.

Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.

Douglas Kunkle notified the special election committee via email on New Year’s Eve that he is withdrawing his name from consideration.

Kunkle was one of five candidates vying to represent the 22nd District seat vacated after Josh Siegel was elected Lehigh County executive. Siegel will be sworn in Monday.

Julian Guridy, a constituent services representative with state Sen. Nick Miller’s office and former Democratic delegate in the 2024 election, and Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach have launched public campaigns. Kunkle, Erlinda Aguilar and Lewis Shupe also applied but have not campaigned publicly.

Kunkle said news coverage of the party’s decision-making process influenced his decision to drop out.

“It’s come to my attention that a decision has already been made in confirmation of The Morning Call article by at least one member of the committee,” Kunkle wrote. “This is not to say I have abandoned my interest but would rather spend my time in a more productive fashion taking my case directly to the electorate as I did when elected Constable in the future primary should I choose to run for the office.”

The Morning Call article he referred to was about a Dec. 29 news conference at which party critics said leaders are unfairly supporting Guridy’s candidacy by removing precinct committee persons and holding closed meetings.

Precinct committee persons are members of the Democratic Party who are elected to represent their local voting district. They will meet Saturday to conduct candidate interviews and select a Democratic nominee, whose name will be on the Feb. 24 election ballot.

Chair Lori McFarland has defended the selection process, saying that it aligns to state law and Democratic party bylaws.

Deon Gardner, 33, was arrested on charges of criminal mischief and institutional vandalism, alleging he vandalized the federal courthouse at 504 Hamilton St. on Monday night.

Officers discovered the front doors shattered just before 7 p.m.

Gardner, who was sitting on the steps of the building, admitted to breaking the windows, according to court documents. Surveillance footage showed Gardner throwing a rock at the door multiple times, police said.

The U.S. Marshals Service said on social media that federal prosecution is being considered. Photos showed the glass heavily damaged on two doors of the building. Marshals estimated the damage at “easily over $2,000,” court documents state.

Gardner remains in Lehigh County Jail on $10,000 bail.

At approximately 6pm last night, the Edward N. Cahn U.S. Courthouse in Allentown was vandalized. Deon Gardner, a 33-year-old male, was located at the scene and arrested by Allentown Police for Institutional Vandalism and Criminal Mischief. Federal prosecution is being considered. pic.twitter.com/dLnzGa3lhh

— U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia (@USMS_Philly) December 30, 2025

Tuerk told The Morning Call he believes the failed override vote leaves intact his original budget proposal, which included a tax increase of nearly 4%. However, some City Council members and council’s lawyer said the veto leaves the city in limbo, with no budget for 2026.

The vote to override the mayor’s veto was 4-3, with council members Cynthia Mota, Ce-Ce Gerlach, Natalie Santos and Ed Zucal voting in favor and Daryl Hendricks, Santo Napoli and Candida Affa against it. Five votes were needed for the override to be successful.

Reached by phone Tuesday following the vote, Tuerk, who was not at the meeting, said he was “disappointed” that council failed to reconsider a compromise proposal that would have increased taxes but lowered an expected trash fee increase. However, he maintained that his original budget proposal containing a 3.96% tax increase and a $140 trash fee hike, will take effect Thursday.

“Our position as the administration is we are going to use the 2026 budget we presented to City Council because it is the only budget that meets all of the criteria of the charter, which is a balanced budget presented to City Council prior to the end of the year,” Tuerk said.

However, City Council solicitor Maria Montero had a different interpretation. In an interview following Tuesday’s meeting, Montero pointed to a 2019 Allentown voter referendum, in which 83% of voters approved a change to the city charter that prevents a mayor’s budget from going into effect by default without approval from City Council.

Montero said that the referendum means that the city will have no budget in place for 2026.

“That is a political question,” Montero said when asked how the city will move forward without a budget next year. “From a legal perspective, all I know is that there is no budget.”

It could be up to the next City Council to decide what will happen to the 2026 budget. Two new members, Jeremy Binder and Cristian Pungo, will be sworn in Monday, replacing Daryl Hendricks and Ed Zucal, whose terms expire at the end of the day Wednesday.

City Council in November rejected Tuerk’s initial budget proposal, and also rejected a compromise proposal from Tuerk that kept the tax increase but reduced the trash fee increase to $90, meaning residents would pay $690 for trash in 2026. Tuerk proposed lending around $2 million from the general fund to the city’s solid waste fund, which would be paid back over a period of five years, to cover the cost of the city’s contract with waste hauler J.P. Mascaro and Sons.

Supporters of the compromise argued that it would alleviate the burden on the city’s poorest residents, while opponents maintained that they could not support any tax increase.

Council instead passed a budget without a tax increase, which Tuerk vetoed on Dec. 22. In an email to City Council, Tuerk wrote “the amended budget does not adequately increase revenue to meet the City’s rising costs, and we cannot jeopardize our financial health by using our limited cash reserves to balance our budget.”

Tuerk on Wednesday insisted that there would be no city government shutdown and that operations would continue as normal on Jan. 1, despite City Council’s failure to approve a budget.

He said that although the voter referendum removed the clause that allowed the mayor’s budget to pass by default, the charter does not prescribe how the city can move forward without a budget approved by City Council, such as a shutdown procedure.

“The municipal code requires that the city has a balanced budget, and this is a balanced budget,” Tuerk said. “There is not a world in which there is no budget.”

He said he would ask the new City Council to consider a series of budget amendments, including a $50 reduction in the proposed 2026 trash fee, a $100,000 boost to the city’s homeless services, and a series of job reclassifications.

However, Tuerk cannot yet put these items forward on a City Council agenda because the council president, who is responsible for putting together meeting agendas, has not yet been chosen for 2026. City Council will elect a president and vice president at its reorganization meeting Monday.

Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.

In 2025, the Lehigh Valley’s biggest commercial deal involved something that could very much be part of its future. Ironically, the land was a part of its industrial past.

Those driving on Route 222 on the very western edge of the Valley in Upper Macungie Township may have noticed a series of industrial buildings sitting on top of a hill overlooking vineyards, farms and the Premise Made chocolate and ice cream shop.

The signs on the highway, just as you’re getting ready to enter the new roundabout with Schantz Road, indicate that the buildings make up Tek Park and it houses a few businesses. That 137-acre complex was sold in October to a company that wants to expand its data center on the land.

It is one of numerous Lehigh Valley data center projects being discussed at planning meetings or on the drawing board.

The Tek Park deal was one of several multimillion dollar deals in the Valley this past year. And, yes, warehouses were involved, too.

Don Cunningham, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., said the commercial real estate market continued to rise through the year.

“The commercial real estate market remains strong in the Lehigh Valley,” Cunningham said. “The number of development projects in 2025 was a little higher than the previous year and property values remain high. Despite some upheaval around trade and tariffs, project activity was strong and we saw growth in major strategic sectors like manufacturing and the life sciences.”

Here are some of the more notable commercial real estate transactions during the year:

9999 Hamilton Blvd., Upper Macungie Township

Price: $175 million

Buyer: Tierpoint LLC

Seller: Hamilton Tek Partners LP

Background: TierPoint completed the acquisition of the nine-building, 137-acre complex in October. The St. Louis company was already leasing a building at Tek Park for a data center, which the company said is its largest.

TierPoint said it has started a 100-megawatt power expansion that it expects to complete in the second half of 2026. TierPoint clients at Tek Park include large technology service providers that are using advanced cooling solutions in support of artificial intelligence and other compute-intensive workloads.

TierPoint told LVEDC that it could add up to 100 jobs. The expansion project, including work on the utility substation, could support an estimated 350 or more construction and engineering jobs.

Tek Park was opened by AT&T in 1987 as a Bell Labs research center. Other current tenants include Aesculap Biologics and Aesculap Implant Systems, members of the B. Braun family of companies.

A data center company bought a Lehigh Valley industrial park for $175 million, plans expansion

4728 E. Valley Road, Upper Saucon Township

Price: $150 million

Buyer: Lehigh E Valley RD Ind Owner LLC

Seller: Kay-Lehigh LLC

Background: Lehigh County property records show the 118-acre parcel along East Valley Road was sold in September to a limited liability company in Clayton, Missouri, owned by Panattoni Development.

Panattoni describes itself as “one of the largest privately held, full-service real estate development companies in the world” on its website.

Upper Saucon Manager Thomas Beil said the township has already approved the 309 Commerce Center, a complex consisting of three warehouses totaling 1.77 million square feet. The land is near Route 309 and Center Valley Parkway.

Beil said dirt is already being moved for the project.

Land on Route 309 in Lehigh County slated for 3 warehouses is sold for $150 million

4700 Bath Pike, Hanover Township, Northampton County

Price: $35.9 million

Seller: 4700 Bath Pike Propco LLC

Buyer: Columbia Wegman Hanover LLC

Background: The Vero at Bethlehem, a retirement home, was purchased by the limited liability company, owned by Sabra, a California real estate investment trust specializing in health care real estate.

The 102,172-square-foot building sits on 6 acres along Route 512, a mile north of Route 22.

Built in 2023, the Vero specializes in personal and memory care, according to its website. Amenities include a full-service restaurant and bistro, a salon and barbershop, a game room and a library. It is managed by Legend Senior Living.

Lehigh Valley senior living home sold for about $36 million

4815 Tilghman St., South Whitehall Township

Price: $28.2 million

Seller: Yasin N Khan MD and E S Khan MD

Buyer: Elliott Bay Medical Properties Holdings IV LLC

Background: The medical building complex was sold in April, according to Lehigh County property records.

It houses Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Center for Orthopedic Medicine – Tilghman, along with an urgent care facility.

Seattle-based Elliott Bay is a real estate investment company that has acquired, owns and manages health care properties leased to specialty care providers and health systems across the U.S.

301 Town Center Blvd., Forks Township

Price: $25.5 million

Seller: Shops at Muncy Creek LP

Buyer: CFE Easton LLC

Background: This shopping center just north of Easton along Sullivan Trail is anchored by a Giant supermarket and was sold in November.

According to Northampton County records, the new owner is based in an office building in Sayville, New York.

2141 Commerce Center Blvd., Bethlehem

Price: $15.1 million

Seller: Lehigh Valley Industrial Park Inc.

Buyer: BGO-Petrucci Bethlehem Cold Storage Owner LLC

Background: Developer J.G. Petrucci is planning to build two warehouses on the 18-acre site in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII, just off Route 412 near a Wawa convenience store and baseball fields.

The first warehouse will be 216,000 square feet and will be used for cold storage. The other will be 101,000 square feet.

Northampton County records said the parcel was sold in September.

610 Uhler Road, Forks Township

Price: $12.35 million

Seller: Uhler Road LP

Buyer: ABR Realty 1

Background: The building houses A&H Sportsware Co., which makes women’s bathing suits.

The buyer is based in a private residence in Bucks County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

1492 Van Buren Road, Palmer Township

Price: $11.6 million

Seller: Exchange 12 LLC

Buyer: 1492 Van Buren Inc.

Background: A joint venture including developer Lou Pektor is planning to build a $110 million residential development on the 32-acre that includes more than 400 apartments and townhomes.

The land was purchased in June from developer Abe Atiyeh.

According to Palmer Township Director of Planning Craig Beavers the project has yet to receive all township approvals. He said the Board of Supervisors has approved a settlement agreement that allows the project to move forward if it complies with township land development requirements.

Beavers said this hasn’t happened yet and the project still hasn’t been submitted for reapproval from both supervisors and the planning commission. That means construction may not start until late in 2026, or beyond that.

The multifamily community will feature seven apartment buildings totaling 320 units, with 92 townhomes. It will include a 10-acre park between the apartments and townhouses.

Lehigh Valley developer Lou Pektor pushes ahead on project that will create more than 400 homes

6300 Lower Macungie Road, Lower Macungie Township

Price: $9.4 million

Seller: Danweber Land Trust

Buyer: Lower Macungie Township

Background: In April, township commissioners voted unanimously to buy the 45-acre farm field where developer Jason Danweber proposed building 180 apartments. The plan raised worries about traffic and flooding and prompted commissioners to hire a lawyer to oppose it.

The tract across from Lower Macungie Middle School will remain open space dedicated to recreation.

Lower Macungie Township OKs agreement to buy, preserve Danweber land

901 Hamilton St., Allentown

Price: $9 million

Seller: PPL Electric Utilities Corp.

Buyer: DDCAP Allentown LLC

Background: Regulatory approval for the sale of PPL’s former headquarters in downtown Allentown was given in July 2024 and the sale was announced that March. It was finalized in January 2025.

Buyer D&D Realty Group of Scranton purchased the 24-story building at Ninth and Hamilton streets after PPL relocated its HQ down the street to Two City Center. It plans to convert the former utility headquarters into a residential building with 112 apartments averaging 1,100 square feet.

D&D is known for its redevelopment projects, converting properties into mixed-used commercial and residential spaces. It has renovated old buildings in downtowns in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area for several years.

Sale of iconic PPL Building in Allentown receives approval from state commission

Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.

Chair Lori McFarland defended the selection process, saying that it is dictated by state law and Democratic party bylaws.

At least five Democrats have announced bids for the 22nd District seat vacated by Josh Siegel, which covers a large portion of Center City Allentown, including two who have launched public campaigns: Julian Guridy, a constituent services representative with state Sen. Nick Miller’s office and former Democratic delegate in the 2024 election; and Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach.

An additional three also have applied to fill the vacancy — Erlinda Aguilar, Douglas Kunkle and Lewis Shupe, though they have not launched public-facing campaigns.

The election will take place Feb. 24 to serve the remainder of Siegel’s term. Siegel resigned from the seat this month; he will be sworn in Monday as Lehigh County executive.

During a news conference Monday, critics accused Democratic Party leaders of unfairly supporting Guridy’s bid for the seat by removing “precinct committee persons” who live in the district and holding meetings that are closed to the public and the media.

Precinct committee persons are members of the Democratic Party who are elected to represent their local voting district. They will meet Saturday to conduct candidate interviews and select a Democratic nominee, whose name will be on the Feb. 24 election ballot.

Only PCPs who live in the 22nd District are eligible to vote on their preferred candidate, according to McFarland.

The Saturday meeting will not be open to the public or members of the media. Around 20 precinct committee members who live in the 22nd District will be eligible to vote for the Democratic nominee, however, there are 28 vacant PCP seats in the district, according to McFarland.

Erik Rodriguez, an Allentown resident, said Monday that he and his wife were elected as a precinct committee member in the 22nd District around three years ago. They found out they were removed last week when Gerlach informed him.

Rodriguez said he did not know when or why the party leaders decided to remove him as a committee member, because he was not given an explanation.

“My biggest reason why I’m here today is I would like an explanation — why things are being held the way that they’re being held, why things are being done the way they’re being done, and I would like an opportunity to fight for the seat that my wife and I, we both worked for,” Rodriguez said. “And I want the people of Allentown to be represented fairly.”

McFarland called the news conference an “unfair attack” against the local Democratic Party, which is following state laws and party by-laws in the candidate selection process. She said she does not know Rodriguez, but that precinct committee members are removed when they do not attend quarterly membership meetings and do not respond to outreach from the party.

“State law explicitly prescribes that the respective parties shall internally select their nominee in special elections. The Lehigh County Democratic Committee will follow the law and our bylaws to select a nominee,” McFarland said in a written statement. “Any and all candidates are allowed to apply for an interview, which will be held during the upcoming county committee recommendation meeting. The recommendation will be transmitted to the PA Democratic Party, who makes the final decision on the nomination. The voters will select the next State Representative for the 22nd District in the February 24 special election.”

McFarland told The Morning Call last week that she has paused the process of appointing new precinct committee persons until the election concludes because of concerns that newly appointed persons could give a candidate an unfair advantage.

Critics, however, accused the party of disenfranchising prospective voters and trying to manipulate the selection process in favor of Guridy, who is a precinct committee person for the Lehigh County Democratic Committee, and therefore has the right to cast a vote in his own favor. Aguilar is also a member, according to McFarland.

“They knew this position was coming up, they knew who was running, and they planned accordingly,” said Paulette Hunter, who said she is a volunteer for the Democratic Party. “The difference this time is they did not plan for the citizen involvement, but planned selfishly for their person to win. This is clearly a setup. A planed setup, and we the citizens will not allow it. We want to vote.”

In an interview, Guridy said that he is focused on reaching out to voters ahead of the Feb. 24 election and denied the accusation that his campaign is being improperly bolstered by the county Democrats.

“I am just following the process, I am following the law of what and how [the election] occurs. I mean, this is how every special election is throughout the state,” Guridy said.

Gerlach has been critical of the selection process, and has called upon the party to open the meeting to the public and to host a debate before choosing a candidate.

“Democracy doesn’t happen behind closed doors,” Gerlach said in a statement. “An open debate is a basic step toward restoring trust and ensuring the process serves voters — not insiders.”

It is unclear whether the Republican Party will select a candidate for the heavily Democratic district; party Chair Joe Vichot did not respond to a phone call requesting comment. Therefore, the winner of the Feb. 24 election could be decided by the ad-hoc committee Jan. 3, barring a successful write-in campaign from another candidate.

Both Guridy and Gerlach have said they would run in the May primary election for the Democratic nomination to run for a full term in November.

Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.

The fire was reported on the 100 block of North Filbert Street, not far from Hanover Avenue, just after 4 p.m., according to emergency radio dispatches.

Photos taken by a freelance photographer showed flames and heavy smoke billowing out of the home, which is half of a twin house.

By around 6 p.m., the fire was reported to be under control

No further details were immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

City Clerk Michael Hanlon confirmed that council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Members have until Dec. 31 to reach a deal on the budget, after Mayor Matt Tuerk vetoed their latest budget proposal last week.

Council voted 4-3 on Dec. 17 to reject a compromise Tuerk supported that would have increased taxes 3.96% and reduced a scheduled increase in city trash fees by $50.

Council members Cynthia Mota, Natalie Santos, Ed Zucal and Ce-Ce Gerlach instead voted to reject the tax increase and keep the full $140 trash fee hike, which would bring the annual fee to $740. Council members Daryl Hendricks, Candida Affa and Santo Napoli voted in favor of the mayor’s plan.

An agenda posted for Tuesday’s meeting indicates council will be asked to vote on overriding Tuerk’s veto and to vote again on his compromise proposal.

Five council members would have to vote in favor of overriding Tuerk’s veto.

Continued high inflation means city residents can’t afford a tax increase, opponents of the mayor’s compromise plan argued. However, if another compromise is not reached to override the mayor’s veto, Tuerk’s proposed budget will go into effect Jan. 1.

In a letter to City Council explaining his veto of their amended budget plan, Tuerk said, “My reasoning is simple: the amended budget does not adequately increase revenue to meet the City’s rising costs, and we cannot jeopardize our financial health by using our limited cash reserves to balance our budget.”

Reduced federal funding means depleting cash reserves without increasing revenue and would put the city at financial risk, Tuerk wrote.

“Allentown must continue to keep our public spaces clean and our residents safe while also providing our employees with livable wages and competitive benefits — all while maintaining fiscal responsibility. We must raise revenue. A City that tries to live off cash cannot survive long,” Tuerk said.

The mayor’s office has calculated that 23,000 out of 26,000 households in Allentown would save money under Tuerk’s compromise proposal, because property taxes are calculated according to a home’s assessed value, meaning those with lower-value homes would pay less, as the tax increase would be offset by the savings in their trash fees.

City police said just before 1 p.m. that the sinkhole opened in the 800 block of North Muhlenberg Street. The road is closed between Washington Street and Greenleaf Street.

Police said the closure will be for an extended period.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Firefighters were called to the house, an end unit, on the 100 block of West Gordon Street in the city’s 1st Ward just before 1 p.m. When they arrived, they found heavy fire throughout the first floor of the home, according to a news release from city fire Capt. Jonathan Hammel.

Paramedics were called for several residents who escaped the home but needed medical attention. Three of them were taken to hospitals to be evaluated, Hammel said. There was no word on their condition as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters brought the blaze, which affected a neighboring home, under control within a half-hour, according to Hammel.

Eight residents, including 3 children, were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross.

The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation by the city’s fire marshal, Hammel said.