Nov. 9, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The first data center proposed for Bethlehem will face the Planning Commission on Thursday.
The 130,000-square-foot center is planned for the former Crowder Service Center site at 2184 Industrial Drive, just north of Route 22 and near the Route 378 exit in the Lehigh County section of the city.
The architectural plans submitted to the city include a basement with 26 cooling tanks and three generators. The other two floors have space for computer equipment and nine offices.
Data centers support Artificial Intelligence, e-commerce and other high-tech industries. Americans across the country have protested their development, citing concerns about their use of energy and water, and the effects of AI on the economy.
The development of the new, larger data centers caught many towns by surprise, just as the warehouse boom did years ago. Bethlehem City Council has voted on restrictions on the centers, but plans filed earlier are not subject to new rules.
Lehigh County records say the property covers 6.6 acres and is owned by Paxos Enterprises, a limited liability corporation that acquired the site in 2021 for $4.34 million.
The Bethlehem Planning Commission will meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, in Town Hall, next to City Hall. The meeting will also be shown on the Internet.
