Featured Project: New Morgan Gateway Commerce Center Warehouses

Ground was broken in October 2025 on what will become Gateway Commerce Center, a master-planned, 5 million-square-foot industrial campus located in southern Berks County, PA’s New Morgan borough, near the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The development marks a significant transformation of the former Bethlehem Steel Grace Mine property into a modern logistics and distribution hub positioned to serve regional and national markets.

Brubacher is serving as the sitework, excavating, and paving contractor for the project’s initial phase, in partnership with Brinkmann Constructors, the lead builder engaged by Panattoni Development Co. This first phase includes preparation of two substantial warehouse facilities representing more than 1.2 million square feet of space.

Full-Service Site Preparation to Support Large-Scale Warehouse Construction

From the outset, the scope of this project has been both substantial and complex. Work began immediately following the groundbreaking and has continued through one of the more prolonged winter seasons in recent memory.

The Brubacher team’s responsibilities for this phase include land clearing and grubbing, large-scale mass excavation and soil removal, drilling and blasting in coordination with Trinity Drilling & Blasting, construction of five underground stormwater basins and four above-ground basins, installation of nearly 10,000 linear feet of stormwater piping, utilities infrastructure, PennDOT road improvements, and more than 60,000 square yards of paving.

Taken together, it is the kind of full-service site development effort that demands seamless coordination across our estimating, operations, and field teams, as well as steady communication with project partners, to maintain forward momentum. That disciplined coordination and field awareness are hallmarks of our approach to providing Insight. On Site.

A Site with a Long Industrial Legacy

While Gateway Commerce Center represents a new chapter for the region and one of the more significant industrial redevelopments in Berks County’s history, the property itself carries an important legacy.

As Keith Brubacher shares, work at the New Morgan site builds on decades of the Brubacher team’s familiarity with the land, its geology, and its evolving purpose.

“What is today known as the borough of New Morgan was once the site of Bethlehem Steel’s Grace Mine operation that operated from 1958 to 1977. For a few winters in the 1980s, Brubacher rented one of the old mine buildings for use as a weld shop and paint area. Brubacher also performed numerous utility repairs, grading, and earthmoving projects on the mine site throughout several decades,” Keith noted. “After many grand visions that never materialized, Brubacher is pleased to play a key role in the construction of a beneficial project that will redevelop much of the old mine surface operations.”

Keeping Pace Through an Extraordinary Winter Season

Beginning bulk earthwork in late fall inevitably introduces weather-related challenges. Frozen soils, moisture fluctuations, and repeated snow events can impact productivity, compaction, and final grading—and the team has experienced all of those conditions this winter.

To mitigate those risks, Brubacher established a winter conditions allowance early in coordination with the project team. As Senior Estimator Larry B. explained, “the team worked together with the client to come up with an allowance… and if we’re under that allowance at the end of winter, we return that money to the client,” reinforcing integrity, transparency, and shared expectations from the outset.

As work has progressed, crews have been digging out frost where necessary, managing snow removal, and adjusting sequencing based on evolving site conditions.

Despite what Project Manager Ron S. described as “a real winter,” the team has maintained steady forward momentum. A key early milestone—60 percent completion of the building pads—has been achieved. While final fine grading has been influenced by frost and thaw cycles, the pad areas are structurally prepared and positioned for continued progress as conditions stabilize.

Coordinated Execution Across Teams and Trades

Maintaining schedule under challenging circumstances has been a defining theme of the project to date. The pace of work, particularly given the scale of earthmoving operations and winter conditions, stands out even among large warehouse and distribution developments.

As Ron noted, “keeping productivity high despite weather variables has required consistent coordination and experienced field leadership.” He praised several of his teammates in the field, noting that Supervisor Matt S., Foreman Joel A., and the field crews have been instrumental in sustaining pace and working proactively around conditions to keep critical path activities moving.

Now, drilling and blasting operations are also nearing completion, supporting continued dirt work progression in March 2026. Early involvement from estimating and operations teams helped position the project for success, and that cross-functional coordination continues as site conditions evolve. Clear communication internally and with project partners has allowed adjustments to be made without unnecessary downtime.

Building the Foundation for Long-Term Growth

Gateway Commerce Center represents more than a single phase of development. As a 5 million-square-foot master-planned industrial campus, it reflects long-term investment in regional infrastructure and economic growth.

For Brubacher, contributing to the foundational work of such a significant site carries both operational responsibility and local importance. By delivering the groundwork that makes future growth possible here in our home region of South Central Pennsylvania, the team is honored to uphold our dedication to Shaping The World We Live In.

While the broader development will unfold in stages over the coming years, the focus today remains steady: deliver the work safely, efficiently, and on schedule. As vertical construction progresses and paving operations continue, Brubacher’s role in site preparation remains critical to keeping the overall timeline on track.

Projects of this scale demand adaptability, experience, and disciplined execution. At Gateway Commerce Center, that commitment is visible in the steady progress taking shape across the New Morgan landscape. The foundation being built here is not only structural; it reflects teamwork, field expertise, and a shared commitment to doing the work right, every day.