Americold, operator of more than 1.5 billion cubic feet of refrigerated storage space, is looking to get a little bigger in Upper Macungie Township.

The cold-storage company proposes a 332,240-square-foot expansion at its existing 7150 Ambassador Drive facility, just off Mill Road, according to documents filed with the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC). That food warehouse is near Tilghman Street and close to the intersection of Route 22 and Route 100.

LVPC which reviews big projects in Lehigh and Northampton counties, will take a hard look at traffic at the Americold site during meetings Tuesday and Thursday. The proposed addition would add almost eight acres of space to the warehouse.

Americold's plan would generate an estimated 455 trips by passenger vehicles and 249 trips by commercial trucks daily, and the LVPC warns of potential backups nearby.

"The ability for a tractor trailer to access the site and potentially await entry without impeding traffic along Mill Road is a critical safety and traffic-management concern," according to the draft of a staff report by Steve Neratko, chief community and regional planner. The developer should show that tractor trailers can line up in front of the gate, awaiting entry, without blocking traffic.

The report also encourages the developer to include charging spaces for electric vehicles.

"Air quality is an important component of a healthy community," the report says, reiterating a point made repeatedly by LVPC Executive Director Becky Bradley and appointed commissioners.

Americold says it is the world's largest real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on owning and operating cold-storage warehouses. It operates 245 temperature-controlled warehouses worldwide and employs almost 17,000 people.

REITs own and operate income-producing real estate such as office buildings, shopping malls, farmland, apartments and forests.

Shares in Americold are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol COLD. The closing price Friday was $32.01, giving the company a market capitalization of $8.7 billion.

LVPC reviews big projects proposed for Lehigh and Northampton counties. It is an advisory body, consisting of a professional staff and 37 appointed commissioners.

The LVPC's Comprehensive Planning Committee will meet at noon Thursday to review the proposal, and the full commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday. Both meetings are virtual and open to the public, with agendas and links to webcasts posted on the LVPC website.

The staff goes over plans and makes recommendations. After the appointees discuss and vote on those recommendations, sometimes revising them, staff reports are sent to municipalities and developers. Final land-use decisions are decided by municipal governments.