USA – PENNSYLVANIA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Erich Schock, Ron Reybitz, Kate Durso and Colin Keefe, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, PC
Traffic is often the flashpoint. Municipal officials and residents may want road improvements that address regional traffic patterns, not just traffic from a single project. But the approval process does not always allow every desired improvement to be imposed on a developer. Some work requires PennDOT involve - ment; some depends on the municipality’s subdivi - sion and land development ordinance; and some must be negotiated rather than required. That distinction should be clear before the first public meeting. Early municipal work matters. The project team should understand the comprehensive plan, zoning ordi - nance, subdivision and land development ordinance, the hearing process, the risk of appeals and likely community concerns before committing deeply to a site. In Pennsylvania, local approvals are not a box to check after the business terms are settled: they are part of the business terms. The Lehigh Valley as a Regional Example The Lehigh Valley shows how the pieces can come together. The region has long benefited from its loca - tion between New York and Philadelphia, its highway and rail network, its industrial base and its labour pool. Those advantages still matter. They are now being paired with life sciences, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, higher education, downtown reinvestment and redevelopment. Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) reported that the Lehigh Valley economy reached USD57.3 billion in 2025, and that the region ranked as the No 1 mid-sized US market for new eco - nomic development projects. Those figures do not make the region immune to land constraints, traffic concerns or public resistance, but they do show why site selectors keep returning to places where trans - portation, utilities, workforce and approvals can be assembled with some confidence. A prime example is a recent project in which Fitzpat - rick Lentz & Bubba, is working with Eli Lilly to develop a pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Lehigh County. Public statements from the company and the Commonwealth describe a planned USD3.5 billion investment, at least 850 permanent jobs and approxi - mately 2,000 construction jobs. The important point
is not only the size of the investment: it is the mix of factors behind the site decision, including industrial land, access, utilities, incentives, workforce develop - ment and a co-ordinated approval path. Other regions of Pennsylvania will tell the story differ - ently. Some will compete through energy and land; others through universities, medical systems, ports, rail, legacy industrial sites or downtown redevelop - ment. The common thread is not that every region has the same assets; it is that the most competitive regions can match the right assets to the right use and move the project through approvals without losing the schedule. Project Delivery: Where the Business and Legal Work Meet These projects do not move through one legal lane. A single development may involve real estate, land use, energy, environmental, tax, finance, construction, utility, incentives and eminent domain issues simulta - neously. Treating those as separate workstreams can create gaps in timing and risk allocation. The better approach is to organise the work around the project’s actual sequence. Before site control, the team should know whether the use is allowed, whether utilities can serve it and whether access is feasible. Before closing, the team should understand easements, title, environmental conditions, public approvals and financing conditions. Before construc - tion, the team should have a realistic path through permits, utility commitments, procurement and public improvements. The questions worth answering early are practical ones. • Can the project obtain the utilities and access it needs, including power, gas, water, wastewater, broadband, roads and rail, where relevant? • Does the zoning ordinance support the use, and what approvals or ordinance changes are required? • What off-site improvements, easements, right-of- way or utility upgrades are needed, and who will pay for and obtain them? • Is there a viable workforce, including training sup - port through universities, community colleges,
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