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Updated: September 4, 2022 @ 5:54 pm
WFMZ.com Reporter
From new apartments being approved to restaurants reopening and ready to serve, here’s your weekly look at what’s happening with businesses in your neighborhood.
ABE ATIYEH WAREHOUSES: 1492 Van Buren Road, Palmer Township
A conditional use hearing for the developer’s proposed warehouses is not over yet, with Palmer’s board of supervisors set to discuss it again Sept. 27. Residents and some township officials have criticized the proposal. Read more.
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AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS INC.: Upper Macungie Township
The global industrial-gas company plans to help the U.K. reduce carbon emissions through a partnership. Air Products announced this week that it will work with Associated British Ports to build the first British large-scale “green hydrogen” plant at the Port of Immingham.
Green hydrogen, produced with minimal environmental impact, can be used in place of fossil fuels in heavy industry and transportation.
The Air Products venture will also accommodate liquefied carbon dioxide (CO2) from carbon-capture projects as that pollutant makes its way to permanent storage under the North Sea.
The project reflects the philosophy stated this year by Air Products Chairman, Chief Executive and President Seifi Ghasemi: “Our growth strategy and our sustainability strategy are one.”
The company has a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Get the full story.
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BYRON PLACE PIZZERIA & ITALIAN RESTAURANT: 124 S. Walnut St., Bath
The new pizza restaurant has held a grand opening to introduce its varied menu to the Bath community.
Byron Place serves stromboli, hot sandwiches, cold subs and grinders, wraps, burgers and cheesesteaks. In addition to pizza and Italian standards, it also serves lamb and chicken gyros, and a Buffalo chicken cheesesteak.
Byron Place is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday.
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JENNY’S KUALI: 102 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem
The South Bethlehem Malaysian and vegetarian restaurant will close at the end of September, after serving “999,999 dumplings,” according to the Facebook post of owners Jenny and Roy Lim. They operated Jenny’s for 10 years, and the House of Chen in Allentown before that.
Kuali means “wok” in the Malay language. Both Lims were born in Malaysia.
Jenny’s will continue selling sauces and cookbooks, and holding pop-ups and classes. The restaurant was not only a local favorite, it was a Lehigh University institution, serving thousands of students over its decade-long run. Get all the info.
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KHANISA’S: 118 Northampton St., Easton
The pudding bar is moving to Allentown after problems at its Easton address. Khanisa’s next stop will be the Downtown Allentown Market, with a grand opening on Oct. 1.
The dessert business has complained about problems with its building, and claimed city officials were slow to respond. Mayor Sal Panto objected to some of Khanisa and Sean Darby’s remarks and said the main issue was between the business and the building owner.
The Downtown Allentown Market is at 27 N. 7th St. Read the full story.
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LEHIGH LANDSCAPE SUPPLY & NURSERY: 1040 Riverview Drive, Walnutport
The Walnutport garden and landscaping business on Riverview Drive (Route 145) plans to hold a grand opening Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The family-owned operation carries a full line of professional brand landscape products, and has mulch, sand, soil, construction materials and decorative stones for delivery or pick-up.
Lehigh Landscape serves the contractor and homeowner markets.
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LEHIGH VALLEY TRADE CENTERS II AND III and LAKE HYDRA: Hanoverville Road, Lower Nazareth Township
Warehouse construction is moving ahead at and near the site of the former Dutch Springs aqua park. Developer Trammell Crow said Lehigh Valley Trade Center II (LVTC II) at 4939 Hanoverville Road is near completion, adding 527,000 square feet of warehouse space.
Ground is breaking for LVTC III, near the quarry now known as Lake Hydra. Those distribution buildings will cover about 588,000 square feet and be done in late 2023.
The quarry was saved for recreational diving and training. Trammell Crow donated land for DIVE LLC, formed by Ken Kraft and Jim Folk, to operate the scuba venue. That means not just diving for fun and certification, but emergency-response teams will continue to train at Lake Hydra. Read more.
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RACHEL’S REFINISHED FURNITURE, EDGE LANDSCAPING AND EXCAVATION, AUGUST BLOOM DESIGNS: 205 Blue Valley Drive, Bangor
The Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting with the three Haffling siblings — Connor, Lauren and Rachel — on Sept. 10.
Rachel, 17, started Rachel’s Refinished Furniture three years ago. Connor, 18, runs Edge Landscaping and Excavation, and Lauren, 22, started August Blooms. She makes hand-tufted carpets and wall hangings after studying textiles at Moravian University. Get all the details.
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WALLY’S DELI: 1245 Chestnut St., Emmaus
The delicatessen may close after 33 years unless some new employees walk through the door soon. Wally’s said on Facebook that lack of staff will force it to close by the end of September.
Wally’s Allentown location will remain open.
Hiring has been a challenge in many industries, with Pennsylvania unemployment at 4.3% and warehouses driving up hourly wages. Read more.
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WAWA, BANK, APARTMENT COMPLEX AT HARVEY’S CORNER: 4900 Freemansburg Ave., Bethlehem Township
Wagner Enterprises’ plan to develop the vacant corner east of the CVS store on Freemansburg Avenue will come up again before township zoning officials, after a meeting Wednesday was shut down after 2.5 hours.
The proposed Wawa with gas pumps, a Fidelity Bank and two apartment buildings at a spot known as Harvey’s Corner needs relief from the zoning code.
On social media, some people have welcomed another Wawa, particularly in an area of the township that lacks gas stations. Others have objected to adding traffic to the intersection of Freemansburg Avenue and Wagner Drive.
The hearing will resume Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. at the township building, 4225 Easton Ave. Get the full story.
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E.G. SMITH: 1 Corporate Blvd., Sinking Spring
After almost 100 years of providing HVAC equipment and fuel, E.G. Smith Inc. has taken a new name: Rhoads Energy.
Rhoads Energy, based in Lancaster, acquired E.G. Smith in 2009.
“To have all the businesses under one name makes a lot of sense,” said Ed Smith, former owner of E.G. Smith, which was founded in 1923.
Rhoads Energy said the change will consolidate a regional service team under one umbrella. Read more.
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GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY: 43 Passmore Rd., Washington Township
The track’s future is in doubt after its owner agreed to sell Grandview to Copart Inc., a company that started with an auto-salvage yard and now holds online auctions for cars.
Nothing is official yet, though Copart plans to discuss the track’s future with township officials. The company sells more than 2 million vehicles annually. Copart is traded on the NASDAQ market under the ticker symbol CPRT.
Buying Grandview Speedway may be a big deal, but Copart can handle it: the company’s market value at current share prices is around $28 billion. Get more info.
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ART OF ESCAPE: 61 S. Tulpehocken St., Pine Grove
Schuylkill County’s only escape room held a grand opening Monday. Teams can work to figure out clues and riddles to escape from a room in 60 minutes.
Escape rooms can be used for parties and as team-building exercises. The rooms can accommodate as many as eight people.
Art of Escape is family friendly and suited for all ages, according to the business’s website.
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ST. LUKE’S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK: 100 St. Luke’s Lane, Stroudsburg
The hospital chain is adding to its Monroe County campus, with the expansion due for completion in early 2024.
St. Luke’s opened the campus just in 2017 but even then planned for growth.
“Over time we have come to see that the rate of growth is just not slowing down,” Chief of Medicine Dr. Douglas Degler said, and it may not be the last expansion at the campus. Read more.
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ENCOMPASS HEALTH: 2660 Audubon Drive, Lower Providence Township
A 50-bed rehabilitation hospital that will provide physical, occupational and speech therapy will be built, with no exact date set.
Encompass Health, an Alabama-based company, will help people recovering from strokes and other neurological disorders, brain and spinal-cord injuries, amputations and orthopedic conditions.
When open, the hospital will be Encompass Health’s 10th Pennsylvania location. Read the full story.
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FIFTEENFOURTYSEVEN CRITICAL SYSTEMS REALTY: East Whiteland Township
A developer of data centers plans to put up two buildings of about 1 million square feet each in Chester County. fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty, known as 1547, said East Whiteland has approved the construction of two centers, and another five million square feet could be developed nearby.
Matawan, New Jersey-based 1547 worked with Green Fig Land Co. to acquire the 100-plus acres. The buildings will house computers and storage systems. Get more info.
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WARREN LANES: 671 Memorial Parkway, Phillipsburg
Pumps may take the place of bins at Warren Lanes. QuickChek has won approval to build at the site. The 24-hour store would have 16 gas pumps and two charging ports for electric vehicles in addition to the convenience store.
Current ownership of the lanes said their lease expires in 2023. QuickChek still needs approval from the N.J. Department of Transportation before proceeding. Read the full story.
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WFMZ.com Reporter
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