Montgomery County · Upper Merion · MCPC #26-0068-001
600 River Road - Data Center
River Road, Upper Merion, PA · 450,000 sq ft non-residential, data center · 47.97 acres
About this project
A 450,000-square-foot data center building with accessory office space and parking is being developed on 47.98 acres of currently vacant, wooded industrial land. The site, formerly part of the Allen Wood Steel Company, will be redeveloped in the Heavy Industrial zoning district.
County planning commission: Raises serious concerns
Issues raised: Discrepancy between stated warehouse use and described data center operations, Non-compliance with township's March 2026 data center ordinance, Data centers not anticipated in current comprehensive plan, Potential truck traffic and operational impacts, Need for additional standards and site-specific review before approval
- Applicant
- Innovation River Road LLC
- Engineer / rep.
- Milkinson Design Group, LLC
- Zoning
- HI
- Tax parcel
- 58-00-16521-00-8
- Cross street
- McCoy's Lane
- Approvals needed
- conditional use, special review
- Utilities
- electric, natural gas
Filing history
- 2026-03-18 · MCPC #26-0068-001 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 450,000 sq ft
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
The developer proposes one 450,000-square-foot data center building, with some office space and parking, at 600 River Road in Upper Merion. It would sit on about 48 acres of vacant, wooded land. The land was once part of a steel company's industrial property and is zoned Heavy Industrial.
News reports say the project is one of five data center sites that MLP Ventures proposed in the township. Together they total roughly 4.6 million square feet. Residents spoke against the plans at public meetings, citing health, environmental and power-grid concerns. On August 13, 2026, the township supervisors voted to deny the developer's applications for all five sites. The developer sued the township and has said it plans to appeal. No occupant for the 600 River Road building was found.
What it could mean nearby
- Residents who opposed the plans raised worries about strain on the electric grid and about health and environmental effects.
- The site is vacant wooded land near a FedEx distribution facility and a closed newspaper printing plant, so building would replace woods with a large industrial building.
- The developer has pointed to new tax revenue and jobs, but no job numbers for this site were found.
Where it stands
The township supervisors denied the preliminary land development applications on August 13, 2026, and the developer has said it will appeal. The next step is likely court action, where a judge reviews whether the denial was lawful.
- Aug 13, 2026 Township supervisors voted to deny the developer's five data center applications; a judge lifted an injunction that day so the vote could proceed.
- Aug 12, 2026 Developer sued the township over the application deadline; residents spoke against the plans at a planning commission meeting.
- May 27, 2026 The township planning commission agenda listed the 600 River Road preliminary land development plan for the 450,000-square-foot data center.
- Mar 18, 2026 Latest filing on the project in the county planning records.
Want to weigh in? The Upper Merion Board of Supervisors made the local decision, and any appeal would go to the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, so residents should watch the township's meeting agendas for further action.
Who's behind it
MLP Ventures Group, LLC (filing lists Innovation River Road LLC and Milkinson Design Group, LLC) · News reports identify MLP Ventures as the Pennsylvania developer behind the five-site Upper Merion data center proposal; no official company website was found.
Around the web
- Upper Merion Board of Supervisors denies all 5 data center sites by MLP VenturesFOX 29 · Aug 13, 2026Reports the supervisors' denial of all five sites, including the 450,000-square-foot 600 River Road proposal.
- Upper Merion data center voteNBC10 Philadelphia · Aug 13, 2026Describes the vote, the developer's lawsuit, the lifted injunction and the planned appeal for the 4.6-million-square-foot proposal.
- Plans for five data centers in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania blockedData Center DynamicsSays the board rejected the plans, citing a lack of detail and of community impact information.
- Planning Commission agenda, May 27, 2026Upper Merion Township · May 27, 2026Lists the 600 River Road preliminary land development submission for 450,000 square feet of data center space.
Planning terms explained
- Preliminary land development plan
- A detailed site plan that a township reviews before it allows a project to move toward construction.
- Heavy Industrial zoning
- A zoning category that allows large-scale industrial uses such as factories and similar facilities.
- Planning commission
- A local advisory board that reviews development plans and recommends whether the elected supervisors should approve them.
- Injunction
- A court order that pauses or requires an action; here it briefly froze the township's review.
- Board of Supervisors
- The elected body that governs the township and votes on land development applications.
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: $315.0M
- ~2,250 roofing squares (assumes 2 stories)
- ~1,125 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)
- ~48.0 acres of site work (grading, stormwater, landscaping)
- UPS batteries and backup generators
- Chillers and cooling systems
- Electrical transformers and switchgear
- Data halls with network and server equipment
- Loading areas for truck storage and access
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