Montgomery County · Upper Gwynedd · MCPC #11-0011-012
Merck NW2 BCR Project
351 Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA · 46,250 sq ft non-residential, industrial · 91.75 acres
About this project
Merck Sharp & Dohme is proposing a new two-story, roughly 46,250 square foot building at the north end of its Upper Gwynedd campus, at the end of Louise Lane off Sumneytown Pike. It will hold refrigerated and freezer sample storage, two small labs, and some office space. The existing single-story building of about 16,500 square feet on the site will be demolished to make room for it.
County planning commission: Supports, with comments
Issues raised: Shrub species diversity: 52 spicebush shrubs require at least 4 species, Spicebush needs partial shade to survive on the site, Waiver requested for new sidewalk along Louise Lane, Future pedestrian connections within the Merck campus
- Applicant
- Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
- Engineer / rep.
- Mainstay Engineering Group Inc
- Zoning
- LI
- Approvals needed
- variance, waivers
- Utilities
- public water, public sewer
- Demolition
- Existing 16,500 SF single-story building
Filing history
- 2025-03-11 · MCPC #11-0011-012 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 46,250 sq ft
- 2021-09-16 · MCPC #11-0011-011 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 73,951 sq ft
- 2021-02-16 · MCPC #11-0011-010 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 22,852 sq ft
- 2020-11-13 · MCPC #11-0011-009 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 102,000 sq ft
- 2020-08-13 · MCPC #11-0011-008 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 40,580 sq ft
- 2019-05-02 · MCPC #11-0011-007 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 18,800 sq ft
- 2018-08-31 · MCPC #11-0011-006 · SubDiv Plan, Prelim Plan
- 2016-11-29 · MCPC #11-0011-005 · Plan Only
- 2014-07-11 · MCPC #11-0011-004 · SubDiv Plan, Prelim Plan
- 2012-12-06 · MCPC #11-0011-003 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 8,360 sq ft
- 2011-07-25 · MCPC #11-0011-002 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 31,205 sq ft
County review letters
2025-03-11 · UGWYN 11-0011-012r.pdf
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
Merck Sharp & Dohme, the pharmaceutical company, has proposed a new two-story building of about 46,250 square feet at the north end of its Upper Gwynedd campus. The site is at the end of Louise Lane, off Sumneytown Pike.
The building would hold refrigerated and freezer storage for samples, two small laboratories and some office space. It would replace a single-story building of about 16,500 square feet, which would be demolished.
The county record covers a campus of about 91.75 acres. No news coverage, township agenda item, hearing notice or company page was found that clearly refers to this project. This summary rests on the county record alone.
What it could mean nearby
- The new building would sit inside an existing industrial campus, so the proposal does not appear to add homes or take up open land.
- The new building is about 30,000 square feet larger than the one it replaces. Any change in traffic on Louise Lane and Sumneytown Pike is not documented in the records found.
- Demolishing the old building means a period of construction activity at the campus; its timing is unknown.
Where it stands
The most recent county filing is dated March 2025, which suggests the plans were under municipal review then. No approval or decision was found online. Next steps usually include township review of the land development plan, then a vote by the governing body and building permits.
- Mar 11, 2025 Latest filing on this project in the county planning records
Want to weigh in? Land development plans in Upper Gwynedd are usually reviewed by the township planning commission and decided by the Board of Commissioners at public meetings. Agendas are posted on the township website.
Who's behind it
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC · A pharmaceutical company that operates a large campus in Upper Gwynedd; Mainstay Engineering Group is the engineering firm on the filing.
Planning terms explained
- Land development
- A formal township review of plans to build or enlarge a building or other site improvements.
- Planning commission
- An advisory board that reviews development plans and makes recommendations to elected officials.
- Industrial use
- Land used for manufacturing, laboratories, storage or similar work, as opposed to homes or shops.
- Demolition
- Tearing down an existing building to clear the site for new construction.
We searched the web for this project but found nothing beyond the county record, so this explanation is based on the filing alone. Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.
Scope estimate for contractors
Estimated construction value: $6.0M
- ~231 roofing squares (assumes 2 stories)
- ~115 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)
- ~2.1 acres of site work (grading, stormwater, landscaping)
- Two bioretention areas for stormwater management
- Storm pipe connections to existing storm system and discharge to existing waterway
- Refrigerated and freezer cold storage fit-out
- Emergency generator with underground utilities
- Insulated metal panel, glass fiber reinforced concrete, and curtain wall exterior
- Loading docks on the west side
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