While Wilson Council has approved a massive warehouse at a former industrial site , its development is no sure thing yet.
Borough Council voted Sept. 10 on plans for a 1-million-square-foot building near Route 22’s 13th Street interchange. The Easton Commerce Park is proposed at 1525 Wood Ave., the site of the former Pfizer pigments plant, which was razed more than three years ago.
Wilson officials have said the warehouse would bring an influx of revenue from real estate taxes and new workers.
But residents and officials in neighboring Easton and Palmer Township are worried about the impact of the project. In addition, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission has said the project as proposed does not align with its regional plan known as “FutureLV” due to traffic issues.
PennDOT still must approve traffic improvements needed for the project not only around the Route 22 interchange but on Wood and Hackett avenues; the warehouse would front both roads.
PennDOT spokesperson Sean Brown said the agency recently returned comments on the latest traffic study and conceptual designs from the developer, Scannell Properties. There has been no response as of mid-September, he said. It has no deadline to do so.
The property also extends into Easton, meaning city officials must also give approval. The city planning commission on Sept. 4 postponed a recommendation on the warehouse, with members wanting more information from PennDOT.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission has already weighed in against the project, though its recommendations are merely advisory.
Still, the commission has noted in documents that, “If the project moves forward as proposed, development impacts should be mitigated to protect the public health, safety and welfare, and to ensure the lowest impact and most sustainable site design in the fiscal interests of the developer, Borough, City and Township.”
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A for lease sign is seen Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at the site of the former Pfizer Pigments plant at 1525 Wood Ave. in Wilson. Borough council recently approved the development of the former Pfizer Pigments plant along Wood Avenue near Hackett Avenue in Wilson for a 1 million-square-foot warehouse at the former plant, which was demolished in 2020. (Morning Call file photo) (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Expand Officials for Scannell did not return messages seeking comment. Scannell and real estate company Cushman & Wakefield installed a sign last year advertising the property for lease. Tall grass and weeds, which surrounded the sign and covered other areas of the property last summer, returned this year.
The developer lists 2026 as the year the warehouse is being built on its website.
The property housed the Pfizer facility starting in the 19th century. It was later taken over by Huntsman, which closed the facility about seven years ago. The buildings were razed in 2021.
The former plant was noted for its production of rust-colored pigments, which left red residue in the nearby neighborhood as well as air and water pollution over subsequent decades.
Plans for the site have been on hold more than three years, since a previous developer proposed an 810,000-square-foot warehouse.
Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be reached at asalamone@mcall.com.
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