BMW of North America LLC said Wednesday it will invest more than $30 million to build a 450,000-square-foot Regional Distribution Center in Westside Industrial Park to replace a smaller parts facility there.
Kenn Sparks, head of U.S. corporate communications for the German carmaker, said Wednesday that BMW plans to occupy the site in April 2017. It is expected to be fully operational in October 2017.
The structure will be developed at 600 Imeson Road. The existing facility along Westside Industrial Drive is 210,000 square feet, he said.
In January, Sparks said Jacksonville was a major center for BMW Group and had been for many years, “especially as it serves our growing business in the Southeast.”
Sparks was responding then to questions whether BMW was the unidentified Project X, which was described as a 450,000-square-foot distribution center, expanding to 600,000 square feet.
That project had been courted by Hillwood Investment Properties for the AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center industrial park in West Jacksonville.
Hillwood told the city in late December the prospect had chosen another Jacksonville site, but as of Sept. 30 had not made an announcement.
BMW of North America LLC fit the parameters.
The existing BMW center was built in 2002 at 137,000 square feet and expanded in 2008. The center was built to support the BMW and MINI dealerships in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina.
However, the 210,000-square-foot expanded center is smaller than other BMW regional distribution centers. The expandable Project X closely aligns with those larger centers.
Westside Industrial Park has been preparing for more development.
Owners of the 960-acre center, through Imeson Industrial Park Land LLC, bought 115 acres adjacent to it along Imeson Road in November.
Of that, about 80 acres can be developed. Three or four buildings totaling up to 1.3 million square feet of space are planned.
Pattillo Vice President Peter Anderson has had no comment as to BMW’s plans.
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