Moving time: Volkswagen will change N.J. distribution centers
Volkswagen of America Inc., based in Auburn Hills, Mich., has signed a lease for a 928,000 sq. ft. build-to-suit distribution center in Cranbury, N.J. Cabot Industrial Properties, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boston-based Cabot Industrial Trust, is the developer of the project. Terms of the lease were not disclosed.
Construction of the center has begun, and occupancy is slated for third-quarter 2002. Volkswagen, which currently leases a distribution center four miles away in South Brunswick, N.J., will use the new center to distribute parts arriving from Europe.
The facility will feature 32 ft. clear ceiling heights, parking space for 100 trucks, cross docks and approximately 50,000 sq. ft. of office space. The entire center will be air-conditioned.
Kiferbaum Construction gets rolling on Sears warehouse
Kiferbaum Construction Corp., headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., has begun construction of an 819,960 sq. ft. distribution center in Manteno, Ill. Sears Logistics Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chicago-based Sears, Roebuck and Co., will occupy the center. Partial completion is slated for fourth-quarter 2001.
The facility will feature an early suppression fast response (ESFR) sprinkler system, 146 loading docks and 35 ft. clear ceiling heights. Concrete aprons will surround the building to accommodate truck traffic and parking for 418 trailers. Kiferbaum also will install a water main and sanitary sewer to service future development.
California fun: McGranahan builds distribution center
Santa Fe Springs, Calif.-based McGranahan Carlson & Co. has begun construction of a $30 million, 500,000 sq. ft. distribution center in La Mirada, Calif. Completion is slated for spring 2002. Corporate Express, a supplier of office products and services based in Bloomfield, Colo., will occupy 320,000 sq. ft. of the facility and has signed a 15-year lease. MC&C Fortis II LLC, a joint venture of McGranahan Carlson and New York-based John Alden Life Insurance Co., owns the facility.
The center will feature 32 ft. clear ceiling heights, an ESFR sprinkler system and a cross-dock facility. Los Angeles-based CB Richard Ellis will market the remaining portion of the center.
APL Logistics inks a lease for Illinois build-to-suit center
APL Logistics, a global supply-chain management company based in Oakland, Calif., has signed a lease for a 421,000 sq. ft. build-to-suit distribution center in Romeoville, Ill. San Francisco-based Catellus Development Corp. is the developer of the project. Terms of the lease were not disclosed. Construction will begin this fall, and occupancy is slated for second-quarter 2002. The center will be located in International Centre West, a 2 million sq. ft. business park located along Interstate 55 in southwest suburban Chicago.
In other Midwest news, Schiller Park, Ill.-based Northern Builders Inc. has begun construction of a 404,473 sq. ft. warehouse in Bolingbrook, Ill. Upon completion of the project in fourth-quarter 2001, General Motors (GM) will close a similar facility in Broadview, Ill., and move into the new center, which will warehouse certified auto parts.
The warehouse will include 20,473 sq. ft. of office space, and will feature a motion sensor lighting design and a computerized equipment control system. Both the lighting and computer systems will help reduce the warehouse's electrical consumption.
Also, Barrington, Ill.-based Ridge Realty Group has begun construction of a 325,461 sq. ft. speculative distribution facility in Aurora, Ill. The building will be the first built in Ridge Realty's planned 100-acre, 2 million sq. ft. West Ridge Corporate Center. Completion of the building is slated for February 2002. Rosemont, Ill.-based Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler Inc. is the sole marketing agent for the park.
The facility will feature 185 truck courts, cross docks and the space to expand to 675,000 sq. ft. West Ridge Corporate Center, which will be located less than a minute's drive from Interstate 88, will include speculative buildings as well as build-to-suit facilities.
In other news from Illinois, Chicago-based Bridge Development Partners has begun construction of a 165,888 sq. ft. build-to-suit warehouse in Elgin, Ill. Chicago-based Wanxiang America Corp., an auto parts manufacturer, will occupy the facility. Completion of the building is slated for December 2001. Itasca, Ill.-based FCL Builders Inc. is the general contractor on the project. Wanxiang will move into the new warehouse from its current facility in Wood Dale, Ill. The warehouse will feature 28 ft. clear ceiling heights, 16 truck docks and approximately 18,360 sq. ft. of office space.
NAIOP prepares for fall conference in Chicago
It's that time of year again, as the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) will hold its annual conference at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Chicago Oct. 24-26. Complete information is available at www.naiop.org. Registrations are not accepted over the phone. Those who register by Sept. 28 will be able to take advantage of various “early-bird” deals.
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