U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan visited CrossRoads East Business Park in Hazle Township on July 7, 2026 to discuss the federal Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program and its impact on economic development in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Secretary Turner and Congressman Rob Bresnahan joined local elected officials, and business leaders for a roundtable hosted by CAN DO, Inc. and Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services.
The event took place inside one of seven spec industrial buildings currently under development at CrossRoads East as part of the project’s first phase. Phase I buildings range from 147,000 to 450,000 square feet, with deliveries beginning in Q3 2026 and continuing into Q2 2027. Combined, the Phase I buildings total more than 2 million square feet.
CrossRoads East is a 1,516-acre master-planned industrial development on the I-81 corridor with 34 buildings and 13.8 million square feet planned across four phases. The entire site sits within a federally designated Qualified Opportunity Zone that carries enhanced federal tax designations, qualifying investments here for three times the standard tax benefit. The site has been nominated for re-designation under the permanent OZ 2.0 program taking effect January 1, 2027.
For prospective tenants, the QOZ designation means that business owners and investors who fund operations at CrossRoads East with capital gains from a recent sale may qualify for significant federal tax savings, including permanent elimination of capital gains tax on the investment’s appreciation after a 10-year hold.
“CrossRoads East is one of very few industrial sites in the state where the Opportunity Zone designation is backed by real infrastructure and real buildings,” said Mericle Vice President Kevin O’Boyle. “We are building right now.”
Mericle has invested more than $100 million in CrossRoads East to date, using QOZ capital to fund land acquisition, infrastructure, and spec construction ahead of tenant demand.
Secretary Turner noted that the Opportunity Zone program has attracted nearly $100 billion in investment nationally, created more than 500,000 jobs, and contributed to the construction of more than 400,000 homes.
For more information about available space at CrossRoads East, contact Mericle at 570.823.1100 or visit mericle.com.