First Industrial to Build 740 KSF Facility in Central PA

By Tudor Scolca

Rendering of First Logistics Center @ I-78/85

First Industrial Realty Trust has started construction work at First Logistics Center @ I-78/81, a distribution facility in Lebanon County, Penn. The $49 million development is in initial stages, with sitework underway and an expected delivery date in the fourth quarter of 2018.

The 738,720-square-foot building will be located at the intersection of interstates 81 and 78. The property includes an adjacent 12-acre lot that will serve as the site of a separate 250,000-square-foot facility. The plot can be modified to accommodate additional parking spaces for the larger building’s tenants.

Key logistics market

First Logistics Center @ I-78/81 will boast frontage along Interstate 81, a 40-foot clear ceiling height, 135 dock-high and four drive-in doors, ESFR sprinklers and LED lighting. Outside, 185-foot truck courts will be complemented by 246 trailer stalls and 289 auto stalls. The property is 97 miles from Philadelphia, 106 miles from Baltimore, 147 miles from New York and 149 miles from Washington, D.C.

“At First Logistics Center @ I-78/81, we are developing a state-of-the-art facility with excellent highway visibility and access, along with flexibility to meet the needs of a tenant that requires expanded trailer and truck parking, which is a rare offering. We are excited to increase our investment in this key logistics market, which continues to attract companies across a wide range of industries due to its strategic location and skilled workforce,” said Peter Schultz, executive vice president for First Industrial, in a prepared statement.

Schultz along with Jeff Thomas, senior regional director, and Jim Knopka, senior director of construction services, form First Industrial’s team for the development. CBRE will handle leasing of the property, while Blue Rock Construction serves as general contractor.

Image courtesy of First Industrial Realty Trust