16-05-2025
Planned 5.5-million-square-foot industrial park in southern Berks gets $2.3 million PA grant
The developers behind plans for a 5.5 million-square-foot industrial park in New Morgan have been awarded a $2.3 million state grant to fund the project's utility infrastructure, state officials announced.
The grant is part of the first round of Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites, or PA SITES, grant awards, which invests $64 million in 11 projects across Pennsylvania.
The grant's goal is to prepare industrial sites for development, attract new businesses and create hundreds of jobs, state officials said in a release.
The $2.3 million grant was requested by equitable landowners and developers Panattoni Development Company, Newport Beach, Calif.
It will support the first phase of the Southern Berks Industrial Park project, which involves the construction of a 900,000-square-foot light industrial facility on 107 acres.
The project calls for 5.5 million square feet of industrial space across the site's roughly 1,200 acres next to Route 10.
State officials note the site is divided into 12 lots and the number of buildings could vary depending on the end user's needs for the lot.
The first phase of the project is estimated to generate 450 jobs, with the entire industrial park eventually generating 2,750.
Land development plans for the project are under review by state and local officials. When approvals are secured, the estimated construction time for first phase would be seven months, officials said.
Panattoni will have to apply again for any grants to support future project phases.
New Morgan is home to about 54 residents, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The borough was established in 1988 from land formerly owned by Bethlehem Steel.
Officials said Shapiro secured $500 million in the bipartisan 2024–25 budget for site development, including $400 million specifically for PA SITES.
'The PA SITES program is a first-of-its-kind effort created by Governor Shapiro in response to feedback from national site selectors who said Pennsylvania needs more shovel-ready sites to compete for major business investments,' officials said in the release.
So far, 66 PA SITES grant applicants have requested $377 million in funding, officials said, and more awards are expected this year.
