Home Care In Center Valley, PA

The Fleming Center for Robotics in Rehabilitation opened at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Center Valley, Thursday, thanks to a significant gift from the Fleming Foundation.

Brittany Sweeney

2 of 3 — Good Shepherd Fleming Center for Robotics CEO

Good Shepherd’s President and CEO Michael Spigel announces the opening of the Fleming Center for Robotics in Rehabilitation at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Center Valley.

Brittany Sweeney

Mikena Garza, 11, of Lehigh Township, smiles with family at the opening of the Fleming Center for Robotics in Rehabilitation opened at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Center Valley. Garza is a patient there and showed off some of the technology during the center dedication.

Brittany Sweeney

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CENTER VALLEY, PA - With a smile from ear to ear, Mikena Garza proudly walked down the hallway of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital with help from the Trexo robotic device.

"It kind of just really helps me walk better and improve my, like, straightening out my legs and me taking more steps,” said Garza. Walking does not come easy to the Lehigh Township girl as she was born with cerebral palsy.

"Her mobility has gotten much better with this,” said her mother, Minalix Rodriguez.

Her family watched, matching Garza’s smile, as she showed off the technology at the unveiling of the The Fleming Center for Robotics in Rehabilitation, on Thursday.

"At Good Shepherd most of the robotics we use today help people who would otherwise not be able to get up and walk, it actually allows him to stand up and walk through the use of wearing some sort of robotic device or robotic technology.” said Michael Spigel, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation's President and CEO.

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation’s new hospital in Center Valley now has this hub for robotics and wearable technology, made possible by the Fleming Foundation. The non-profit was created by the late businessman and philanthropist Richard Fleming and is now led by his daughter, Trinka Arnold.

“My father was always a very innovative entrepreneurial kind of guy, he always wanted to push the envelope, as they say, do something that perhaps nobody had ever done before, and never be satisfied with the status quo and so the fit here just seemed perfect.”

Trinka Arnold

“My father was always a very innovative entrepreneurial kind of guy, he always wanted to push the envelope, as they say, do something that perhaps nobody had ever done before, and never be satisfied with the status quo and so the fit here just seemed perfect,” said Arnold.

"When I heard that there was a need for assistance in the area of robotic technology within rehabilitation, this was all completely new to me, of course, but it just sounded like a perfect fit for an area for the Fleming Foundation to support.”

The Fleming Center for Robotics in Rehabilitation uses technology to assist those who may not have full mobility.

Spigel said the creation of this center will support their investment in leading-edge technology. “The way to think about what robotics are, and how they're used, is kind of at a broad generalization, think of some external device that you may wear that allows you to do something like reach your arm, or take a step or walk.”

Good Shepherd is the only rehabilitation provider in the country that has all the different levels of Trexo robotic devices for kids, like the one used by Garza.

Arnold said bringing healthcare technology is a priority to the Fleming Foundation, so people don’t have to travel far for care. "It's very important because we want to take care of people close to home. Nobody wants to have to drive to Philadelphia or drive to New York or drive wherever else it is and so it is an absolute joy and a pleasure to help our local community with these kinds of needs,” she said.

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital opened in Center Valley in July and serves more than 250,000 outpatients and 1,000 inpatients per year.

UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. - Fulton Bank will open a branch at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in January, and a nearby branch will close.

The Lancaster-based bank's new office will be on Center Valley Parkway in the Promenade. The open-air shopping center is in Upper Saucon Township, near Route 378 and Route 309.

The 3,300-square-foot Fulton Bank will open between the Hair Cuttery and Old Navy, according to the Promenade. That office will take the place of the branch in Lower Saucon Township.

"In January, we will be moving our Saucon Valley Financial Center to the Promenade shops in Center Valley," Fulton Bank said in a statement.

The branch at 3727 Route 378 in Saucon Valley Square, Lower Saucon Township, will close Jan. 5.

"On Monday, January 8, 2024, we will welcome customers at our new location in the Promenade Shops, 3060 Center Valley Parkway, Suite 839, Center Valley," according to Fulton.

The Promenade office will have night deposit services, an ATM and extended lobby hours, Fulton said.

"The new financial center is just a few miles from our current Saucon Valley location," the statement said. "Until this change occurs in January, we will continue to serve customers at our current Saucon Valley Financial center."

Fulton Bank has 14 financial centers in the Lehigh Valley.

The Promenade has added restaurants and retailers in the last year, among them the FD Market, a sustainable-goods and refillery store; the Turning Point Restaurant; Batch Microcreamery, an ice cream store, and boutique retailers such as Handmade Mystic, according to a statement from the Promenade.

"The new Fulton Bank will round out these offerings by giving our guests the ability to do their banking while enjoying the incredible amenities and events taking place at the center," Natalia Stezenko, senior general manager of the Promenade, said in the statement.

Fulton Bank is a subsidiary of Fulton Financial Corp. There are more than 200 Fulton financial centers and offices across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

Shares in Fulton Financial are traded on the Nasdaq market under the ticker symbol FULT. At 1:18 p.m. Wednesday, the share price was $12.63.

In the last 52 weeks, the shares have traded as high as $18.91 and as low as $9.64. At the current price, Fulton Financial has a market capitalization of $2.02 billion.

Fulton has about $27 billion in assets and employs more than 3,300 people.

"This center will allow us to continue serving the local community in this vibrant neighborhood and support their banking needs," Curt Myers, chairman and chief executive officer of Fulton Financial, said in the joint statement with the Promenade.

LOWER MACUNGIE TWP. — After a public process dating back to last December, a nearly 59-acre proposed complex of housing, retail, offices and entertainment was approved Thursday night by township commissioners.

The vote on the Lehigh Valley Town Center signals clearing of a major hurdle for one of the region's most ambitious development plans, and now begins its land development phase.

The Jaindl Co.-led development, applied for under Landston Equities LLC, promises to bring a mix of a walkable, livable urban center and a suburban entertainment destination all in one.

Township commissioners unanimously approved the conditional use for the project early in their meeting Thursday night, having completed the conditional use hearing at the prior meeting. Developers noted no major issue with the current conditions as presented.

Developer David Jaindl, owner of the Jaindl Land Co. that owns the property, said he and his colleagues feel good now that the project is heading to the land development phase with the township.

"That's the tough part," David Jaindl said. "The township was very receptive to what we're looking to do, and so it's going in the right direction.

"I think this was a big hurdle."

The 58.8-acre project at 361 Schantz Road and 4511 Cedarbrook Road, situated between Interstate 78 and Route 222, received a favorable recommendation in June from the township planning commission.

The project will need to come before the board again for approval of land development plans.

"It's been a long process to get the conditional use reviewed and approved, but it was done so with the expectation that we were going to be as thorough as possible to make sure that the needs of the user were met as well as concerns by our residents and our budding municipalities," Lower Macungie Township Director of Planning and Community Development Nathan Jones said.

"It's just one step of many. But we are looking forward to the project coming to fruition. We do think it's the highest and best use of land for the site."

Plans call for about 170,000 square feet of retail space, 135,000 square feet of office space, 550 apartments, a grocer, a comedy club theater, a six-story parking garage and a 180-room hotel, according to the Jaindl Co.

So far, the only tenant identified has been TopGolf, a popular entertainment center that acts as a cross between a driving range and a sports bar. More is expected to be discussed regarding tenants as the project edges nearer to completion.

"There's a ton of interest from from really high-end commercial users, that hopefully will be considering the site," David Jaindl said.

Breaking ground in 2024, if all goes well

He said developers hope to break ground in 2024 on the TopGolf section, dubbed as the project's first phase, in the first quarter of 2024.

"And hopefully within a year, a year and a quarter or so, it should be occupied," David Jaindl said.

The most recent agenda packet for the conditional use hearing required final approval and the start of construction to occur within three years of conditional use approval for the mixed-use piece of the project.

The planning commission gave its recommendation for the project along with a set of proposed conditions in June.

Commissioners tabled the decision to approve the project at their last meeting so members can “digest” the issues at hand. That included 53 conditions attached to the project and public commentary over traffic concerns, which will be discussed further during the land development process.

"I think the most important part is that we didn't rush into a decision," Board of Commissioners President Brian Higgins said. "There are 53 conditions, which is the most I've ever seen on any project."

"It is a unique opportunity for the community, but there are significant concerns that come with that traffic obviously being one of them. It gets positioned in a place where it's designed to hold the most traffic, but improvements will still have to be made."

Smart growth group Friends for the Protection of Lower Macungie has called the Town Center a "good project for a number of reasons," such as its pedestrian-friendly design, "appropriate locations" and immediate direct access to Interstate 78 and Route 222.

Present at the meeting was South Whitehall Township Manager Tom Petrucci, who made a comment on behalf of the neighboring township. He asked that South Whitehall be able to review and comment on specific aspects that affect township residents, such as traffic, infrastructure, sewer planning, noise and light glare. A representative from Upper Macungie Township made a similar request for joint discussion and opportunity for input.

“Hearing their concerns is definitely something we want to take into consideration; obviously, we want to mitigate all traffic impacts," Luke Jaindl, another developer with the company, said at the previous meeting. "That’s what we’ll continue to do as we go through this process.”

Some of the conditions included requiring at least 20% of the roof area on structures for the mixed-use part of the site to include roof dining, terraces, bars or public and private access spaces; and restricting hours of the Topgolf facility to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and midnight on Sundays through Thursdays.

Also, Lower Macungie has requested lighting regulations, a buffer to separate use from nearby cemeteries, ornamental roof features, attractive landscaping and compliance with established stormwater and state Department of Transportation regulations.

A substation also was requested for the township's fire department and/or ambulance corps.

"I'm excited that retailers like TopGolf and ...Raising Cane'sare choosing Lower Macungie as their first ventures in the Lehigh Valley," Higgins said.

UPPER SAUCON TWP, Pa. – The National Weather Service blamed dozens of split and uprooted trees in the Center Valley and Saucon Valley areas Monday night on straight-line winds and not tornadoes.

That was the assessment of a survey team that visited the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. The findings were released Wednesday night as some communities remained in the dark and continued picking up the pieces from 48 hours earlier.

Earlier Wednesday night, the weather service confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down in the Midway Manor neighborhood of Allentown and crossed briefly into Bethlehem, near Union Boulevard.

Peak winds were 80 to 90 mph off Lanark Road near the Afton Village neighborhood of Upper Saucon, the weather service said. Several trees were downed, particularly along Calvert Place.

Fallen trees dotted the landscape of lawns throughout Afton Village. Several leaned against the side of a two-story home. One smashed a corner window. Branches littered many properties.

In the Saucon Valley area, peak winds hit 90 to 100 mph around Saucon Valley Country Club and uprooted or snapped trees at their trunk, according to the weather service.

That, too, was determined to be straight-line winds and not a twister.

Saucon Valley Road was shut down east of Route 378 in Upper Saucon.

Damage continued into Lower Saucon, where uprooted and damaged trees were found along Bingen Road.

The worst of it lasted about a minute near Lanark Road along a more than half-mile path that measured 600 yards wide, the weather service said.

The Saucon Valley burst of wind lasted longer — about two minutes stretching for 1.63 miles and nearly a mile wide.

Earlier Wednesday, Lower Saucon Township Manager Mark Hudson said all township roads were finally open.

"Our crews are still out fine tuning everything," he said. "We have the roads open but still have to get out to places and do a cleanup. We'll be doing that through (Thursday)."

Damage across the region

In addition to the Lehigh Valley, survey teams fanned out across the Mid-Atlantic region.

A damage survey in Bethlehem Township, New Jersey, confirmed widespread wind damage in several locations.

Peak winds in those areas reached 85 to 95 mph, with a path width of 200 yards and a length of a half-mile. The weather service confirmed an EF-0 tornado with peak winds at 85 mph did touch down in Holland Township, in Hunterdon County, N.J.

In the Lakewood Farm area of Hockessin, Delaware, winds topped out around 110 mph. It snapped 15 to 20 trees and uprooted at least 10 large trees, the weather service said.

A popular brunch chain will open its first Lehigh Valley location in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley later this month.

Turning Point will be located at The Patio, which features an outdoor seating area. The breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant will have its own outdoor seating area, in addition to indoor dining areas.

A popular brunch chain will open its first Lehigh Valley location in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley later this month.

Turning Point Restaurant’s location in the Upper Saucon Township lifestyle center will hold a grand opening ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 9 a.m., according to a Facebook event created by the Promenade Shops.

According to the event, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Turning Point at 9:30 a.m.

A flyer hanging in the one of the doors to the restaurant Friday said that Turning Point is now hiring managers, servers, cooks, host and bussers for all of its locations.

A “help wanted” sign is displayed at the yet-to-open Turning Point restaurant in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township.

Turning Point currently has nearly 20 other locations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where the first restaurant in the chain opened in Little Silver, Monmouth County, in 1998.

Breakfast, brunch and lunch items are on the menu at Turning Point, which also has BYOB locations.

Turning Point–which announced plans for its Ceneter Valley location in January–will be located in The Patio area of the Promenade Shops, near Playa Bowls and UBreakiFix.

For more information, visit TurningPointRestaurants.com.

The Promenade Shops is home to a number of dining destinations, including Top Cut, Kome, Torre, Red Robin, White Orchids Thai Cuisine, Starbucks and Batch Microcreamery. The lifestyle center located at 2845 Center Valley Parkway, Center Valley, also houses dozens of retail outlets, a multiplex movie theater and other businesses. For more information, including a map of the shopping center, visit ThePromenadeShopsAtSauconValley.com.

A chalkboard sign has already been made to welcome the first guests to Turning Point’s new location in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

A glimpse inside the restaurant revealed a fireplace located near a bartop seating area.

More than a dozen patio tables fill an outdoor seating area at Turning Point, which will host a grand opening at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19.