Heartland Cold Storage Logistics Center will soon join the list of the region’s fast-growing food and beverage logistics hubs as the first speculative cold storage industrial building in the Kansas City market.
Leaders from BCB Development, Colliers International, ARCO National Construction, City of Liberty (Mo.), Liberty Economic Development Council and KC SmartPort celebrated the official groundbreaking on July 20, 2021.
The Class A, 167,575-SF facility will be located in the Heartland Meadows Industrial Park in Liberty, Mo., and will include a fully insulated building, enhanced roof loads and specialized floor slabs to maintain refrigeration and freezer temperatures required for cold storage properties. Additionally, the facility will be customizable to specific tenant needs with the capability to be divisible for multiple tenants if needed.
“BCB Development is very excited to bring the first speculative new construction cold storage building to the Kansas City market. We believe we are ahead of the curve to meet the burgeoning demand of the cold storage market segment as more goods are shipped that require cold/freezer-type storage and distribution,” said Brandon Becker with BCB Development.
“Liberty, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City, is ideally located to capitalize on Kansas City’s central location, its existing transit infrastructure, and its reputation as a national distribution hub city. This will allow us to attract national tenants looking for a Class A state-of-the-art facility that can reach a majority of the U.S. within one day.”
As food trends continue to rapidly change and speed-to-market becomes increasingly critical, the Kansas City region has emerged as one of the largest and fastest-growing food and beverage logistics hubs in the U.S.
The Kansas City region’s $125.4 billion food and beverage industry continues to see growth with more than 670 companies located in the area and a workforce of more than 25,500 employed in food and beverage manufacturing, warehousing and distribution.
According to KC SmartPort, in the last two years, the Kansas City region has successfully attracted food and beverage companies pledging to create more than 1,800 jobs, invest over $486 million and occupy nearly 4.2 million SF.
“The demand for cold storage space and refrigerated transportation is significant and on the rise, fueled by shifts in consumer preferences, demand for fresh product, food transparency and changes to consumer shopping habits, among other factors,” said Elli Bowen, vice president of KC SmartPort.
“The demand for food delivery continues to drive distribution and fulfillment facility location decisions. Kansas City’s centralized location, low operating costs and infrastructure network, coupled with available spec space, further positions the KC region as a hub for food and beverage operations.”
ARCO National Construction will serve as the general contractor for the project; John Stafford, Turner Wisehart and Chris Cummins with Colliers International have been named as brokers for the facility.
BCB Development anticipates the building to be complete in the first quarter of 2022.