Development to Help Keep Parkland Taxes Down

Assessments and collection of taxes are critical to every school district and the Parkland School District is no exception.

During an all-day budget seminar Friday, district administrators pointed out some of the major Upper Macungie Township development projects that will increase tax revenues in the district in coming years.

According to the school district:

• Upper Macungie projects a combination of 1,100 single-family homes, townhomes, twins and apartments over the next seven years.

• There are plans for a new residential apartment complex called Woodmont Apartments.

• The Coca-Cola expansion is expected to be completed soon, yielding approximately $10 million in assessed value.

• The Weis Markets in Fogelsville is complete. Township officials are pushing for work to begin on the strip mall project next to the market. There will be two buildings and 14 stores. The Gas-N-Go station has been approved.

• Bimbo Bakeries USA is building a new $75 million, state-of-the art bakery that will bring more than 100 jobs to the area. Construction of the 240,000-square-foot project is expected to be completed by year's end. The project's full completion is set for spring 2014.

• Work has begun on Niagara Bottling's 8,600-square-foot office building addition.

• Compass Building Center at 2013 Tilghman St., is expanding with six 1,500- to 2,500-square-foot buildings.

• The planned Wawa convenience store near the Jaindl Elementary School is off the table, as the township rejected the project.

• Sharp Corporation has requested a large building addition to its plant.

• PPL has completed Phase One of its data center building project. It is expected to be completed in June and will bring more than $10 million is assessed value.

• Air Products has sold a large parcel of land to Liberty Real Estate. Liberty is working with PennDOT for access to the Two warehouses, a 1.2-million-square-foot building and a 1.3-million-square-foot building, will be built.

• There is potential for a nursing home to be built near Rabenold Farms.

• There is potential for a strip mall at Route 100 and the Route 222 bypass.