A Georgia-based warehouse developer wants to build about 400,000 square feet of space in West Jacksonville.
“Warehouse space overall in Jacksonville is at an all-time low vacancy rate,” said Brian Cooper, Warehouse Rentals director of real estate.
Valdosta-based Warehouse Rentals has a contract to buy 50.1 acres at southeast Imeson and Pritchard roads, near Westside Industrial Park.
Cooper said the company is working through permitting for the site.
He said Warehouse Rentals wants to buy the land by early next year and break ground after the sale.
Cooper said plans are to build speculative warehouse space to lease to tenants needing from 20,000 to more than 100,000 square feet of space.
The city calculated a mobility fee of $169,187 for the project. Plans show two multitenant buildings east of Imeson Road comprising 219,375 and 192,500 square feet.
Tenant sizes are indicated to range from 21,875 to 135,000 square feet. Cooper said that total of 411,875 square feet likely will be reduced closer to 400,000 square feet.
“That’s a good start,” he said. Warehouse Rentals will gauge how the first project succeeds and then consider additional sites.
He declined to estimate the investment costs.
The site is part of a 134.63-acre property owned by Imeson Holdings LLC, which is led by Allen Land Group Inc. owner John J. “Jack” Allen.
The warehouse property is in the middle of the site. Allen said there are potential sales of the remaining parcels.
Cooper said Warehouse Rentals looked at several locations in Jacksonville and chose that one because of the proximity to the types of tenants it seeks and its access to Interstates 95, 10 and 75.
Warehouse Rentals seeks tenants who need space to bring in products and distribute to retailers.
Created in 1964, Warehouse Rentals offers real estate services that include warehousing, commercial property distribution and real estate development for clients across the Southeast.
It says it has flexible leasing terms and conditions.
It says it operates more than 9 million square feet of warehousing property for distribution, warehousing, storage and production from 5,000 to 400,000 square feet.
Its locations include Valdosta, Albany, Savannah, Douglas and Tifton in Georgia; Charleston and Summerville in South Carolina; and Mobile, Alabama.