Business News

The Small Business Council of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce recognized local businesses with Excellence in Business Awards on Wednesday at Northampton Country Club.

Few, if any, bridges in Pennsylvania insulate the steel beams in their decks, PennDOT Deputy Secretary Mike Rebert said Wednesday. High-intensity fires capable of destabilizing those bridges are rare, but do happen.

Democrats in Pennsylvania are optimistic that Republicans will finally agree to raise the state's minimum wage after years of debate. A Republican member of the state Senate's leadership team is leading a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, providing hope for a resolution, although challenges remain in the GOP-controlled state Senate.

Cold Nose Lodge, which opened in October 2008, is expanding its location in Alburtis. They'll hold a groundbreaking party on June 26 at the facility.

The Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission recommended approval for the nearly 59-acre Lehigh Valley Town Center project, including its TopGolf component. Township commissioners could give the green light at their July meeting.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors reported home sales dropped 22% in May — normally a busy season. Increased interest rates and tight inventory in Lehigh and Northampton counties were driving the figures, according to GLVR.

A developer is seeking approval for an 868-unit self-storage facility on Hanover Avenue on Allentown's East Side, but the official notice for a zoning hearing advertised 749 units.

The Lehigh County District Attorney's office brought a successful lawsuit against Lowhill Township, arguing they unlawfully appointed supervisor Curtis Dietrich.

The United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley raised a record $22.6 million in the campaign that ended earlier this year. It supports programs and agencies in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties.

The Macungie Diner will be opening Monday, according to a message from its Facebook page

Melani and Jason Hansche are aiming to open Tucker Garage & Grocery in Easton this October, providing the public with a community café and grocery store. They just need a little help, and they're more than willing to offer some fun rewards in order to get to the finish line.

Herr’s Fruit Farm has been operating Dan Schantz Greenhouse since the spring, after the Schantz family closed up shop in December. On Friday the Herrs announced they have bought the property and intend to keep it open as a greenhouse and farm market.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission praised the in-progress multi-municipal plans at its first in-person meeting since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020.

Valley Youth House's THRIVE Program, which helps sex-trafficked folks, will receive $150,000 in state funding, Rep. Josh Siegel, D-22nd District, announced at a news conference on Wednesday.

The Bethlehem Co-op Market at 250 E. Broad St. will be a first of its kind in the Lehigh Valley, with 4,500 square feet of shopping space open to the public, free water, community room with Wi-Fi, pet area and bus stop and bike rack outside.

The early 2025 opening is later than City Center executives first projected for Allentown officials. It's one of two major projects in the 900 block of Hamilton Street.

Browne, who authored the one-of-a-kind Neighborhood Improvement Zone, has long worked to keep some tax revenue data out of the public eye. Releasing some categories of tax revenue would amount to publishing individuals' tax returns.

Whitehall Township's Zoning Hearing Board approved variances for a building's height and driveway width, part of an intended 190,400 square foot distribution facility.

A developer’s plans to build a 150,400-square-foot warehouse along Route 100 moves on to Upper Macungie Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday night.

Bethlehem Twp. will not appeal a ruling from a Northampton County judge that will allow an 866,000 square foot warehouse at 1600 Freemansburg Ave.

Plans call for a Tempo by Hilton hotel with a ground-level restaurant and bar, rooftop bar and expanded fitness center, with improvements to come later for the Greenway nearby.

The 2024-25 Pennsylvania State Budget introduced updates to the state's complex liquor laws, including extended happy hours and ready-to-drink cocktails. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board already received over a thousand RTDC applications and has begun permitting with the law effective Sept. 16.