Withdrawn / Denied

Air Products Cetronia Road Data Center

Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County

A project of roughly 2,600,000 square feet that was planned for Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, and it is no longer proceeding in its original form.

Withdrawn / DeniedGreenfieldLV

At a glance

The project by the numbers

StatusDenied

Footprint2,600,000 sq ft

Site194 acres

First announced2024-12

Target onlineTBD

Denied by Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County

The number that mattersThe plans cover roughly 2,600,000 square feet of building.

Current stage: The municipality denied the application.
Decision body: Upper Macungie Township
Top issues: Residents and officials have focused on the sheer footprint of the buildings, the conversion of open land or farmland, water use, continuous mechanical noise, and emissions from backup generation.
Key opponents: Upper/Lower Macungie residents (standing-room hearings); State Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16)
Key supporters: Air Products (property owner seeking optionality)

2.6M sq ft pitched at 7300 Cetronia Rd; hearings continued Dec 16 2025 → Feb 25 → May 27 2026; unanimous denial June 2026.

What is at stake

Documented community impacts

Energy costs and the grid

High

2.6M sq ft campus's energy/infrastructure demands a central objection; State Sen. Jarrett Coleman argued the Lehigh Valley is the wrong fit.

WFMZ-TV

Noise and vibration

Medium

Backup generators + cooling systems near residential.

Traffic

Medium

ZHB 2nd hearing addressing traffic concerns.

Community response

Who is organizing against it

Concerned residents of Upper/Lower Macungie

Single-project · Founded 2025

Leaders: (Renee Delong, Linda Wiley among speakers); Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16) ally

Tactics: Standing-room-only ZHB turnout across multiple continued hearings, testimony entered into record, state-legislator support

Opposition to Air Products' 2.6M sq ft Cetronia Road campus (P010), which the ZHB unanimously denied in June 2026. Sen. Jarrett Coleman publicly opposed.

Timeline

How it has unfolded

2026-02-25Air Products ZHB 2nd hearing
2026-06-18ZHB unanimously denies Air Products' 'similar use' data-center appeal (developer no-show) WFMZ-TV

Legal record

Filings and legal actions

2026-06-18
ZHB decision Upper Macungie Township ZHB · (Upper Macungie ZHB)
Board denied both a continuance and the 'similar use' relief on the merits; Air Products may appeal to county court.
Air Products & Chemicals vs Upper Macungie Twp · Denied unanimously

News

Coverage of this project

2026-06-XX The Cool DownPacked hearing ends in unanimous denial of Air Products' 2.6M-sq-ft campusSen. Coleman opposition
2026-06-18 WFMZ-TVUpper Macungie zoners reject appeal for massive data center campus on former Air Products siteUnanimous denial / developer no-show
2025-12-17 Tioga PublishingAir Products hits pause on 2.6M-sq-ft data center appeal in Upper MacungieContinuance / 'similar use' theory

Sources

WFMZ-TV

Know your rights

In Pennsylvania, a data center on industrial land usually needs a special exception or conditional use, decided by a local Zoning Hearing Board after a public, quasi-judicial hearing. Neighbors can request party status, cross-examine witnesses, and build an evidentiary record. Municipalities can also write data-center ordinances with enforceable standards.

Know your rights →

Take action

Organized community opposition is the single most effective check on these projects in Pennsylvania. Show up to hearings, submit comment when it is taken, support legal and expert-witness costs, and ask your municipality for a moratorium and a real ordinance.

How communities push back →