Wildflower Ltd., a New York development firm led by managing partners Adam Gordon and Matt Dicker, plans to break ground early next year on a high-scale logistics facility near the John F. Kennedy International Airport in southern Nassau County.
The new distribution center is planned for an 11-acre site at 253-51 Rockaway Blvd. in Rosedale, New York, less than one mile from the JFK Airport. According to the developer, the planned facility is one of the first modern high-capacity warehouses to be constructed on a speculative basis in New York City.
The planned development comes just as reports that the Blackstone Group is negotiating to purchase a portfolio of 11 warehouse buildings near the JFK Airport as part of a larger deal to buy a portfolio of industrial property from Boston-based real estate investment manager TA Realty.
That deal, first reported by Crain's, reflects the keen investor interest in warehouse properties situated close to major urban areas, which are seen as playing a key role in supporting so-called 'last-mile' delivery for Amazon and other e-commerce firms, as well as hubs for delivery companies such as FedEx and UPS.
The new distribution building planned by Wildflower Ltd., to be called the JFK Logistics Center, is planned for 235,234 square feet. Construction is expected to commence in early 2020 with an estimated completion date in the fall of 2021.
The three-level complex will have 122,785 square feet of ground floor space for lease and 112,449 square feet of second and third floor small-tenant industrial space. The design includes 32-foot clear height, 24 loading access points, three drive-in doors and 248 auto stalls.
"There has been a seismic shift in consumer shopping behaviors. Variety, price and speed will define the winners in the new logistics economy in New York City. Existing building stock does not optimize the requirements of this new use," said Wildflower Ltd. Managing Partner Adam Gordon in a written statement.
Although asking rents for new warehouse space may be higher than for existing buildings, Gordon said the actual operating cost of occupying new space may be lower when total volume and efficiency are taken into account.
Wildflower Ltd., which also recently developed a similar logistics complex in Brooklyn, has built a number of warehouse and industrial projects over the past two decades in the New York City boroughs.
The developer has selected Reid Berch and Joseph Lagano of Avison Young as the primary leasing contacts for the planned logistics facility.