LVEDC Vice President of Business Development and Talent Supply Karianne Gelinas (fourth from left) attended the groundbreaking for NorthPoint Development in Forks Township. (photo courtesy Quandel Construction)

NorthPoint Development, a commercial real estate developer specializing in industrial development, has broken ground on a new 432,640-square-foot distribution facility in Forks Township.

The facility, called Commerce 33, is expected to create 430 direct and indirect jobs and tax revenue to the township, according to Eric Watts, Director of Development for NorthPoint Development.

 “This development will provide a lasting value for the community through job creation, tax revenue, and a capital investment of $38.6 million,” Watts said at the groundbreaking ceremony on July 28.

The $19.5 million single-load industrial building has been pre-leased to a Fortune 50 company. NorthPoint Development could not immediately disclose the company name, but officials said it will be announced at a later date.

The Lehigh Valley’s central location, access to markets, excellent workforce, and other strong economic assets make the region an attractive location for industrial development, as well as other sectors like manufacturing and life sciences.

“The Lehigh Valley and Forks Township provide a competitive landscape with a strong supporting labor force, energetic community members, and the ambition to collaborate with private entities like NorthPoint,” Watts said.

Commerce 33 will promote and encourage development opportunities within the township for office, service, and manufacturing uses, Watts said, as well as support residential growth in the community according to the zoning code.

Karianne Gelinas, Vice President of Business Development and Talent Supply with the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) was among those in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Other attendees at the groundbreaking included regional political and business leaders, members of the local community, and the design and construction team, including Quandel Construction and Schlouch Incorporated.

Headquartered in Harrisburg, Quandel’s family of companies across seven offices locations in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania specialize in construction management, general contracting, design-build, and heavy concrete construction services. Engineering New Record repeatedly ranks Quandel on its list of the nation’s Top 400 General Contractors.

Schlouch Incorporated is a single source provider of site design and construction services to residential, commercial, industrial, energy and governmental customers throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and surrounding states.