Ordered something online and surprised that the item is delivered in less than 24 hours? Thank a super-sized warehouse, their growth driven by e-commerce and consumers’ insatiable desire for inexpensive goods delivered in a hurry.
Plant City is no stranger to these developments, thanks to readily available land, a close proximity to major highways and incentives by local government. While not always embraced, as proven by residents that have packed city commission meetings to stop these projects from coming to fruition, these gargantuan warehouses are here to stay.
Adding to the sprawling industrial projects that are transforming the landscape of the I-4 corridor in Plant City, construction is well underway on a more than 699,800 square-foot industrial property on County Line Road, part of the larger 2.8 million square foot County Line Farms Distribution Park.
County Line Farms, a build-to-suit project, is being developed by Aspyre Properties and Blue Steel Development. Landon Beck, Jan Boltres and Mia Jarrell of Colliers are managing leasing for County Line Farms. The Colliers team is working closely with the Plant City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to identify users that will add value to the community.
“The manufacturing industry is a focus of the Plant City EDC. We have a rich history in the industry and are in a great position to support its future needs from a logistics and workforce perspective,” said Plant City EDC President and CEO Steve Morey. “We have seen a lot of recent success in the distribution industry for these same reasons and look for the growth to continue.”
Manufacturing is one of the largest industries in Plant City, with 2,829 employees. The influx of warehouse space is poised to create a ripple effect across various sectors, particularly in job creation. With the need for skilled laborers, logistics professionals and administrative staff, the project is expected to generate hundreds of employment opportunities.
To entice tenants, the developer is offering significant infrastructure to support manufacturing uses, including a 12-inch water main that can support three and a half million gallons of water usage per day, a 30 MVA transformer, natural gas and wiring for fiber-optic internet.
“I don’t know of any other sites that have this type of infrastructure, and more importantly a landlord that is willing to expand on the infrastructure based on the needs of the tenant,” said
Beck, Senior Associate at Colliers. “Putting the infrastructure in place to support manufacturing usage is a substantial investment, and Aspyre and Blue Steel are willing to make that investment to attract the right tenant.”
County Line Farms is currently more than halfway complete, with Ace Hardware and Saddlecreek Logistics Services occupying 719,517 square feet and 1,204,632 square feet, respectively. Buildings 400, 450 and 500 – totaling roughly 700,000 square feet – will be built to suit.
“This site is in a prime location within a mile of the I-4 Corridor and with more than 10 million people located within a 100-mile radius,” said Boltres, Executive Vice President of Colliers.