Duke Realty grows industrial footprint in Lehigh Valley

The real estate investment trust, which has a regional office in Conshohocken, recently bought Building B, a 232,655-square-foot warehouse/distribution building in the West Hills Business Center in Weisenberg Township for $20.3 million, according to Lehigh County assessment records.

“We are trying to grow our base in the Lehigh Valley,” said Jim Palmquist, senior vice president of the northeast region for Duke Realty. “It really complements our other Lehigh Valley project, which started construction.”

He is referring to the construction of Building One at the 33 Logistics Park at Chrin Commerce Centre on Van Buren Road off Route 33 at the new interchange in Palmer Township.

The speculative development should be finished by the end of the year, Palmquist said.

Construction finished in May on the West Hills property, which is leased to National Freight Industries, a distribution company that also leases the adjacent Building A, a distribution center/warehouse that’s nearly 1 million square feet. Duke Realty also owns Building A.

The 230-acre industrial park is off Exit 45 on Interstate 78 West and includes three other properties under construction.