A large, new data center being planned for the Keystone Trade Center could bring up the noise.
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NorthPoint Development, which is transforming the former U.S. Steel site into a major hub for e-commerce and logistics, sought a variance from the Falls Township Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday to bypass standard noise and decibel level restrictions set in township ordinance.
Attorney Bryce McGuigan, who was representing NorthPoint revealed it had secured a tenant for a building that will fitted out as a data center, but the tenant’s identity remained undisclosed.
McGuigan emphasized that while the data center is not expected to significantly increase noise levels, the variance would serve as a precautionary measure.
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NorthPoint Development previously conducted a an ambient noise study and found high 50s and low 60s most of the time, but he noted it can sometimes be louder due to other factors, like when a tenant is testing backup power generators, said Jeremy Michael, NorthPoint’s director of development.
Concerns were raised by an employee of a neighboring business, who expressed fears over a continuous hum potentially disturbing other businesses, local residents, and reaching across the river into New Jersey.
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The woman presented the zoning board with articles supporting her concerns about the noise from data centers.
In response, McGuigan assured the board that the building would be equipped with specialized features designed to mitigate noise emissions.
The zoning hearing board approved the variance for the data center.
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NorthPoint Development, which acquired the U.S. Steel property at the end of 2020 for $160 million, has big plans for the site. The developer is working to transform the area into a major hub for e-commerce and logistics, potentially creating 5,000 to 10,000 jobs and adding up to 15 million square feet of new warehouse space, with a total projected investment of $1.5 billion.
As part of the development’s incentive package, the Bucks County Commissioners, Falls Township, and the Pennsbury School District agreed in 2020 to designate the site as a Keystone Opportunity Investment Zone from January 2021 through December 2035. The designation provides significant tax breaks to foster development.
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Previous reporting on the project:
- Officials Shed More Light On Proposed Nondisclosure Agreement Between Township & Developer
- Supervisors Approve Opportunity Improvement Zone Shift At Keystone Trade Center
- EXCLUSIVE: FedEx To Open One Million-Square-Foot Building In Falls Twp.
- First Tenant Signs For Massive Keystone Trade Center
- ‘Transformative’ Keystone Trade Center Project Holds Ceremonial Groundbreaking
- NorthPoint Development Expanding Warehouse Plan At Keystone Trade Center
- Second Phase Of Keystone Trade Center Moves Forward
- Three 1 Million-Square-Foot Buildings Proposed For Keystone Trade Center
- Keystone Trade Center Site Gets Subdivision Approval
- Municipal Authority Closes On Keystone Trade Center Property
- Construction To Get Underway By July On Massive Keystone Trade Center
- 1 Million-Square-Foot Warehouse For Keystone Trade Center Approved
- First Warehouse Proposed For Keystone Trade Center Project To Come Before Public
- Keystone Trade Center Project Allows Water Authority To Build New Treatment Plant
- Large U.S. Steel Site In Falls Twp. Sold For $160 Million
- County Commissioners Approve Tax Break For Massive Keystone Trade Center Plan
- Tax Breaks Could Help Development At Proposed Keystone Trade Center
- Keystone Trade Center Project Moves Forward
- Ground On Billion-Dollar Keystone Trade Center Could Be Broken By Spring
- Falls Twp. Holding Special Meeting On Proposed U.S. Steel Site Redevelopment
- Plans For U.S. Steel Site Show New Billion-Dollar Development, Potential For Thousands Of Jobs
- EXCLUSIVE: Large U.S. Steel Site To Be Sold To Developer
- U.S. Steel Seeking To Sell Fairless Works Site
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