Plans call for Regency to construct the retail center at LowerNazareth Commons shopping center. It will include a 133,000-sfTarget next to an existing, non-Regency owned Wegmans supermarket.Restaurants, service and retail businesses will be among the othertenants.

Arms tells GlobeSt.com that this particular part of thecommonwealth is particularly appealing to the company. "Itspopulation growth is very strong, it has solid household incomesand it is generally underserved for retail." He adds that heexpects the project to bring new retail names to Lehigh Valley.

There are other signs that Lehigh is beginning to attract newretail investment. In Whitehall, for instance, 17 new tenants inkedspace in the 130,000-sflifestyle expansion of Lehigh Valley Mall. The aggregate cost ofthe renovation and expansion of the mall, owned byPhiladelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust owns50% of the mall property, and Simon Property Group, was $44million. Barnes & Noble, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, AnnTaylor, Ann Taylor Loft, Sephora, Coach, White House/Black Market,Chico's, Soma, Coldwater Creek, J. Crew, Apple and Yankee Candleare among the new tenants.