Greek starts speculative cold storage facility in South Jersey

BGO, RL Cold project will offer 200,000+ square feet

Jessica Perry//August 7, 2024//

Greek Design|Build broke ground on a 215,766-square-foot speculative cold storage project in Mount Laurel for joint venture owners RL Cold and BentallGreenOak. - PROVIDED BY GREEK DESIGN|BUILD

BGO, RL Cold project will offer 200,000+ square feet

Jessica Perry//August 7, 2024//

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Greek Design|Build recently started work on a new speculative cold storage warehouse in South Jersey.

The 215,766-square-foot project for joint venture owners RL Cold and BentallGreenOak will rise along Pleasant Valley Avenue in Mount Laurel.

As cold storage experiences “remarkable growth,” the South Jersey work addresses one of the sector’s main challenges: lack of supply. By building adaptability into the project, Greek Design|Build is also proactively approaching another hurdle. Due to the range of products potential cold storage users store or make, unique space requirements can vary drastically.

The Mount Laurel building will have the ability to accommodate temperatures ranging from -10 degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit with four variable temperature compartments. The LEED-certified facility offers tenant customization for every aspect, according to the development team, covering warehouse design to office space layout.

A rendering for the customizable cold storage facility rising along TK. - PROVIDED BY GREEK DESIGN|BUILD. — A rendering for the customizable cold storage facility rising along Pleasant Valley Avenue. – PROVIDED BY GREEK DESIGN|BUILD.

In addition to a dedicated United States Department of Agriculture inspection area, the building will include:

27 dock positions outfitted with a sanitary dock pit
Vertical dock levers
Vehicle truck restraints
5,000-square-foot storage mezzanine

Meeting demand

Last fall, Colliers reported a projected annual increase of more than 13% for the cold storage sector through 2030, leading to a $95 billion market. In the past, higher costs of development in the space have deterred developers. Now, increased demand and higher rents have helped alleviate those concerns.

The former site of a vacant office building, the transformation also underscores the changing demand within commercial real estate more broadly.

Team members from Greek Design|Build, RL Cold and BentallGreenOak celebrate in Mount Laurel. - PROVIDED BY GREEK DESIGN|BUILD — Team members from Greek Design|Build, RL Cold and BGO celebrate in Mount Laurel. – PROVIDED BY GREEK DESIGN|BUILD

Speaking at the groundbreaking, BGO Vice President of Development Michael Adkins called attention to the “critical need for high-quality, sustainable facilities that support the transport of essential products like farm-fresh produce and sensitive medications within the supply chain.”

Not without controversy, RL Cold Chief Operating Officer Josh Lewis highlighted the importance of community in his remarks at the groundbreaking.

“We chose to work with a local builder who could bring a depth of experience working within this community, and partnering with Greek has been immensely positive for this project so far,” Lewis said. “Construction is already on-track to wrap on-time and under-budget.”

A representative for Greek did not immediately respond to a query about when the project will be finished.

“We are honored to be involved in an innovative project that also allows us to advance it through the cost-effective and time-saving design-build process. This facility will stand out in the market as a highly flexible state-of-the-art cold storage option,” said Steve Chick, director of pre-construction at Greek Design|Build.

Based in East Brunswick, Greek Design|Build is a family business with three generations of industry experience designing and constructing industrial buildings across the Northeast.