Here is a look back at public industrial and warehouse news in Bucks County from the first quarter of 2026. It is put together by Carolyn Olivieri, a Doylestown-based industrial and flex specialist with KW Commercial.
Key takeaways
- A large lease, a local company expanding, and a proposed new distribution facility all came to Lower Bucks.
- Townships are working through rezoning and approvals for warehouse and logistics uses.
- Most of the quarter's activity was near I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
- Nationally, the Fed held rates steady, the Supreme Court struck down the emergency tariffs, and the Iran war sent diesel and shipping costs sharply higher.
Leases and expansions
In March, Logistics Property Co. announced a 973,200 square foot lease that fills its South Penn Logistics Center at 2300 S. Pennsylvania Avenue in the Morrisville section of Falls Township. Bisnow reported that the building was delivered in June 2025, with 40-foot clear heights and the option to connect to rail. The tenant was later named as Exol, an automated fulfillment company. (Source: Bisnow, March 4, 2026, https://www.bisnow.com/news/philadelphia/industrial/warehouse-lease-south-penn-logistics-center-morrisville-133515)
Also in March, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported that Airline Hydraulics is combining two sites into the 184,611 square foot building at 3001 Frost Road in Bristol and plans to add 50 jobs. (Source: Philadelphia Business Journal, March 30, 2026, https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2026/03/30/airline-hydraulics-industrial-lease-50-jobs.html)
Proposed projects and approvals
On January 26, Pennsylvania accepted URBN's proposed Nuuly processing and distribution facility, about 975,000 square feet, into its Fast Track permitting program. (Source: PA Office of Transformation and Opportunity, https://www.pa.gov/agencies/oto/fasttrack/urbnnuulybuckscounty)
In February, Bristol Township Council approved an 18,000 square foot U-Haul warehouse at the former Bristol Plaza shopping center on Durham Road. (Source: Lower Bucks Source, February 26, 2026, https://lowerbuckssource.net/human-interest-bensalem-township/bristol-twp-approves-u-haul-expansion-project/)
On March 4, Middletown Township's Planning Commission reviewed Korman Commercial Properties' request to allow a "logistics fulfillment center" use on about 83.7 acres near Route 1 and West Lincoln Highway. Under the revised proposal, that use would need conditional use approval. (Source: Middletown Township Planning Commission minutes, March 4, 2026, https://www.middletownbucks.org/Government/Boards-Commissions/Planning-Commission/Planning-Commission-Minutes/3-4-26-PC-Minutes)
Big picture
On January 28, the Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate at 3.50% to 3.75%. Steady rates gave borrowers some predictability, but financing for buying or improving a building stayed well above the low rates of a few years ago. (Source: Federal Reserve, January 28, 2026)
On February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the emergency powers law known as IEEPA does not allow the President to impose tariffs. A new 10% tariff on imports from all countries took effect February 24 under a different law, set to last up to 150 days. For Bucks County businesses that import parts or goods, costs and planning stayed uncertain. (Source: BDO)
After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on March 2, tanker shipping rates from the Middle East hit their highest level since at least 2005, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The strait is a key shipping route for oil leaving the Persian Gulf. (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Reuters reported on March 27 that the war had pushed U.S. diesel prices up 50%, squeezing trucking companies, especially small independent operators. Higher fuel costs raise the price of moving goods in and out of local warehouses, which makes shorter trips to customers more valuable. (Source: Reuters, March 27, 2026)
Trend to watch
Local companies are moving into larger buildings to combine their operations, which points to steady demand for functional industrial space in Lower Bucks.
Questions about industrial or flex space in Bucks County? Email Carolyn Olivieri, a Doylestown-based industrial and flex specialist with KW Commercial, at c.olivieri@kwcommercial.com
Carolyn Olivieri, KW Commercial