RL Cold, BGO Break Ground on Philly-Area Cold Storage Facility

Completion is expected in the second half of next year.

Rendering of the cold storage facility rising at 907 Pleasant Valley Ave. in Mount Laurel, N.J.
RL Cold’s facility will include a 5,000-square-foot storage mezzanine, among other features. Image courtesy of Greek Design|Build

The joint venture of RealtyLink LLC division RL Cold and BentallGreenOak has broken ground on a 215,766-square-foot speculative cold storage warehouse in Mount Laurel, N.J. Greek Design|Build, of East Brunswick, N.J., serves as general contractor. Completion is expected in the second half of next year, according to TAPinto.

Aiming to achieve a LEED certification, the facility will use a modern CO2 refrigeration system and have the ability to accommodate temperatures ranging from –10 degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, with four variable-temperature compartments. Other features are to include a dedicated USDA inspection area, 27 dock positions outfitted with a sanitary dock pit, vertical dock levelers and vehicle truck restraints, as well as a 5,000-square-foot storage mezzanine.

The warehouse rises at 907 Pleasant Valley Ave. on a 12-acre site of a former office building, NJBIZ reported. The location is just off Interstate 295 and roughly 13 miles from downtown Philadelphia.


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In May, RL Cold broke ground on a 292,000-square-foot design-build cold storage facility in Lakeville, Minn., near Minneapolis. Ware Malcomb provided design services and Graycor Construction Co. is the general contractor. Delivery is expected next spring.

A significant factor behind demand for temperature-controlled storage facilities is a surge in online grocery sales, according to a recent report from Marcus & Millichap.

Over the 2019–2023 period, online’s share of total grocery shopping grew to a record high of more than 16 percent, which is expected to rise even further. Beyond that, exports of U.S. agricultural products are an additional factor in the sector’s expansion.