Sherwin-Williams Breaks Ground on Global R&D Facility

Latest rendering of the Sherwin-Williams new R&D center. Image courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

Paint and coating manufacturer Sherwin-Williams has broken ground on its new global R&D center in Brecksville, Ohio. Governor Mike DeWine, together with other public officials and company executives gathered on Friday for the groundbreaking ceremony.

Sherwin-Williams has been planning the expansion for more than a year through its “Building our Future” initiative, first announced in February 2020. The plan calls for an investment of at least $600 million for the development of both the Brecksville property, as well as a new, 1 million-square-foot headquarters in downtown Cleveland.

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In May of this year, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections voted on the rezoning of 18 acres within the development area, bringing Sherwin-Williams’ total footprint at the site to 119 acres, according to an article by Cleveland.com. DiGeronimo Cos. sold portions of land within its Valor Acres project to Sherwin-Williams for $15.2 million in October 2020. Valor Acres is a separate mixed-use project developed by DiGeronimo Cos. that will be anchored by Sherwin-Williams’ new research center.

The 600,000-square-foot new R&D facility will rise on a site just east of Interstate 77, at the intersection of Miller Road and Brecksville Road. Housing chemists, engineers, technicians and support teams, the innovation hub will support product development, coatings research, color technology and process engineering. Sherwin-Williams expects the project to generate 3,000 construction jobs and be complete in 2024.

Growing in Northeast Ohio

Brecksville Site Plan. Image courtesy of Sherwin-Williams.

Welty Gilbane, a joint venture of Welty and Gilbane Co., was picked by Sherwin-Williams to act as construction manager for both its Brecksville facility and the new downtown Cleveland headquarters. HGA Architects and Engineers will act as base building and interior architect for the R&D center. CBRE will act as real estate and economic development advisor.

In downtown Cleveland, Sherwin-Williams is planning to build a 36-story office tower, where it plans to relocate its employees. The building will be situated at the north-east corner of West 6th Street and West Superior Avenue.

The company expects to grow its workforce by 11 percent in the coming years. The two facilities will have enough room to accommodate more than 3,500 employees. Future growth plans call for the addition of as many as new 400 staff members.

Adjacent to the Sherwin-Williams development is Valor Acres. Sitting on the site of a former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that was shuttered in 2011, the mixed-use project is being built by DiGeronimo Cos. In 2018, the developer and the City of Brecksville entered into a Development Agreement for the use of the site. Current plans call for the construction of 160,000 square feet of office space, 150,000 square feet of retail, a 120-key hotel and more than 200 luxury apartments and condominiums.

In June of this year, a joint venture of DiGeronimo Cos., Weston Inc. and Scannell Properties purchased the 210-acre site that housed the industrial operations for Ford Motor Co. in Brook Park, Ohio. The land traded for $31.5 million, public records show, and the new owners are considering a new mixed-use development at the site.