Plans are underway to break ground next month on a nearly two million-square-foot industrial park in Lincoln County.
Crow Holdings Industrial is developing six buildings at the Lincoln Commerce Center, a site which sits near the fast-growing area adjacent to N.C. Highways 73 and 16. The buildings will be constructed in three phases and will vary in square footage to ensure broad appeal. The first phase of delivery is expected in early 2023. Developers believe that speed to market, and the mix of buildings will be an advantage for Lincoln County.
“Having a speed to market advantage is the best competitive edge a community can have,” Cliff Brumfield, executive director of the Lincoln County Economic Development Association said. “This project will give both Lincoln County and Crow Holdings Industrial that exact advantage.”
Project leaders believe the new site will appeal to tenants looking for space for advanced manufacturing, modern fulfillment, distribution centers and headquarter operations. Flex space to serve new and existing industries is also on the list.
“This will give us some world class facilities to market not only to new industries but to our growing industrial base as well,” Brumfield said.
Nationally, Crow Holdings Industrial has seen increased demand for larger buildings with abundant trailer and car parking. The “bigger is better” trend is being seen nationally amid the surge in industrial demand, driven by increased e-commerce and large distribution centers, according to Matt Cochrane, the Carolinas managing director for Crow Holdings. The demand is also being driven by an increase in manufacturing needs and companies wanting to keep more inventory on hand, he added.
The area being developed has seen explosive residential and commercial growth. Within six miles of the site, there are more than 6,000 homes and apartments under development or approved. With Highway 16 connecting Uptown Charlotte to I-40 and beyond, the flow of goods and the labor that’s behind them is attracting interest from tenants from a variety of industries who want that kind of access.
“Really what it comes down to is location, location, location,” Cochrane said. “We see the expressway of N.C. 16 from Charlotte to I-40 as a game changer in the region. The unique traits of this site’s location enable us to serve the entire Charlotte Region, with close access to I-485, I-85 and I-77.”
Cochrane called the intersection a “great story of smart and successful infrastructure spending.”
Both Cochrane and Brumfield believe the interest will be immediate.
“We see nothing but continued growth for this corridor,” Cochrane said. “It checked all the boxes.”
