The Mathis Report: Another big distribution center in works at Cecil Commerce Center

City's master developer preparing project that's bigger than Wayfair.


AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center.
AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center.
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With Wayfair Inc. confirmed for a 1 million-square-foot warehouse, the developer of AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center is working on plans for another big distribution center.

Dallas-based Hillwood, the city’s master developer at the Westside business park, is preparing for a 1.5 million-square-foot project on Parcels H and I, near POW-MIA Memorial Parkway. No tenant is identified.

“Hillwood is permitting the parcels to allow site clearing and mass grading, all with the goal of shortening the site’s ultimate delivery timeline for a prospect, should one materialize,” Hillwood Senior Vice President Dan Tatsch said Tuesday. He said he would have no comment on a specific prospect.

Plans for the second large center emerged in September.

AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center’s corporate roster includes Amazon.com, which is next to the Wayfair site; FedEx Ground Package System; GE Oil & Gas; Saft America Inc.; Bridgestone Americas Tire  Operations; and Industry West and JinkoSolar (U.S.) Industries Inc., which are the newest companies to join the park.

In 2009, Hillwood won a bid to become the master developer of the city-owned 4,474-acre Cecil Commerce Center, which is part of the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field.

The Master Disposition and Development Agreement between the city and Hillwood was effective Sept. 15, 2010, with an initial term of 10 years.

Tatsch said previously that by the end of the initial term in mid-September 2020, Hillwood is required to deliver at least 2 million square feet of space. As of March 31, Hillwood delivered more than 2.2 million square feet, he said, exceeding the benchmark two years ahead of the deadline.

A previous city spokeswoman said in June the initial term of the agreement is 10 years. If Hillwood meets the predetermined performance benchmarks, it can extend the agreement for three additional five-year periods.

She said Hillwood reached the performance benchmarks to extend the first five-year period.

Asked about extending or negotiating a new agreement with Hillwood, city spokeswoman Marsha Oliver said Tuesday that process has not begun.

 

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