Lehigh County · Upper Macungie Township · #2026-03-eli-lilly-pharmaceutical-plant-797-432-s
Eli Lilly pharmaceutical plant, 797,432 sq ft
8810 Main Street, Fogelsville, PA 18051 (north of I-78), Upper Macungie Township, PA · 797,432 sq ft non-residential, industrial · 150.0 acres
About this project
A proposed pharmaceutical manufacturing complex of about 797,432 square feet on roughly 150 acres north of Interstate 78 near Fogelsville. The site is currently used for agriculture, and it is adjacent to an existing industrial park across the highway.
County recommendation: Supports, with comments
Issues raised: Truck trip estimate (90/day) not explained, Truck parking and stacking shortfall, Karst and geotechnical testing needed, Well head protection zone and 150-ft creek buffer, ADA detectable warning surfaces and new bus stop
- Applicant
- DPR Construction
- Engineer / designer
- Pennoni Associates
- Plan type
- Land use of regional significance (LURS)
- Land use
- industrial
- Zoning
- Limited Light Industrial (LIL)
Filing history
- 2026-03-24 · #2026-03-eli-lilly-pharmaceutical-plant-797-432-s · Land use of regional significance (LURS) · 797,432 sq ft
Map pin is approximate.
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
Eli Lilly plans a pharmaceutical manufacturing campus of about 797,432 square feet on roughly 150 acres in the Fogelsville Corporate Center. The site is on Main Street near Adams Road and Interstate 78 in Upper Macungie Township. It is farmland now. News coverage describes a roughly $3.5 billion investment. The plant would do final assembly of injectable medicines, including weight-loss drugs. That means mixing ingredients made elsewhere into solutions and packaging them.
The township planning commission recommended approval in August 2026. The township supervisors then approved the final land development plan in September 2026. The company reportedly closed on the land in July 2026. Building would happen in phases, starting with a visitor center and amenities building. Coverage did not report any opposition at those meetings.
One article reports about 2,000 construction jobs over the life of the project. Other coverage cites roughly 850 permanent jobs. Square-footage figures differ between sources, and some say about 925,000 sq ft.
What it could mean nearby
- Traffic: the plan includes five site entrances, a new traffic signal and a wider Main Street. About 45 trucks a day (90 trips) are expected.
- Planners earlier urged the company to keep employee and truck traffic off Main Street, where part of the road would be realigned.
- Jobs: about 2,000 construction jobs are expected, and other coverage cites about 850 permanent jobs.
- The site would run three shifts a day and have a perimeter fence and 24/7 security.
Where it stands
The township approved the final land development plan on 2026-09-03, so local site-plan approval appears complete. Next usually come state and local construction permits, then site work, with construction expected to take years.
- Sep 3, 2026 Upper Macungie supervisors approved the final land development plan and sewage planning module
- Aug 19, 2026 Township planning commission recommended approval of the final plan
- Jul 2026 Company reportedly closed on the property
- Mar 24, 2026 Latest county planning filing
- Jan 2026 Lilly announced the Lehigh Valley plant
Want to weigh in? The Upper Macungie Township Board of Supervisors held the final approval vote, so any further public comment would go through its meetings or the township office.
Who's behind it
Eli Lilly and Company · A major pharmaceutical company that makes and sells prescription medicines, including injectable diabetes and weight-loss drugs.
Around the web
- Upper Macungie approves Eli Lilly final land development planWFMZ · Sep 3, 2026Reports the supervisors' approval of the final plan, with traffic and phasing details.
- Upper Macungie planners endorse Eli Lilly plan for manufacturing campusWFMZ · Aug 19, 2026Reports the planning commission's recommendation, waivers, security and truck traffic estimates.
- Massive Eli Lilly project goes under LVPC microscopeWFMZCovers the regional planning commission's review, including concerns about Main Street traffic.
- Eli Lilly Lehigh Valley pharma plantThe Philadelphia Inquirer · Jan 30, 2026Covers the announcement of the $3.5 billion plant and its planned weight-loss drug production.
Planning terms explained
- Land development plan
- A detailed site plan showing buildings, roads, utilities and drainage that a municipality must approve before building.
- Waiver
- Permission to skip or modify a specific township design rule for a project.
- Sewage planning module
- A state-required document showing how a project's wastewater will be handled.
- LERTA
- A local tax break that phases in higher property taxes on new construction over time.
- Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
- A regional advisory body that reviews local development plans and sends comments to the township.
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: $103.7M
- ~7,974 roofing squares (assumes 1 story)
- ~1,993 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)
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