BlueScope Properties Group expects its new spec building in Tradeport East Business Center in Liberty County to open this fall.
And the Kansas City company’s president Matt Roth is excited by the prospect. “We are excited to be delivering this first-class facility to Savannah’s dynamic industrial real estate market, which boasts the lowest vacancy rate in the county at 0.1%,” he said. “We have seen significant interest from tenants who require space in the greater Savannah market this year.” The 647,530-squarefoot cross-dock building sits on 42 acres in Tradeport East, Liberty County Development Authority’s premier industrial park, which is already approaching more than 4 million square feet of distribution centers, including Tire Rack, Target, Hancook Tire, Western Power Sports, Hooker Furnishings’ Home Meridian International, and Safavieh.
Roth said the company chose to build in Liberty County because of its proximity to the Port of Savannah and Interstate 95, as well as the county’s labor market and the quality development inherent in Tradeport East. The building is approximately one mile from I-95’s Exit 76 at Midway and only 20 miles from I-16. It is 30 miles to the Savannah port.
In addition to the 288,900-person strong traditional workforce living within a 45-minute commute of the site, it is only 20 miles from Fort Stewart, where 300–400 soldiers leave the military and re-enter the civilian workforce every month.
“Liberty County continues to demonstrate itself as a top choice for companies seeking to locate with great proximity and access to the Port of Savannah,” Roth said. “With seamless access to I-95, this strategic location can service the greater region while offering a strong labor pool and compelling incentives to entice top tier companies.”
LCDA CEO Ron Tolley is also excited about the upcoming opening, saying it will be a great addition to the county’s economy, and that the need for it is very evident.
“The Savannah area has the lowest vacancy rate of DC lease space in the U.S. due to the incredibly rapid and continuing growth of the Port of Savannah,” he said. “Although literally millions of square feet of new space have been built in the past several years, the new space has been signed and occupied just as fast as it could be built. We anticipate the new 647,530 BlueScope facility will be quickly occupied as well, creating even more jobs and economic growth in Liberty County and the coastal Georgia area.”
ARCO Construction out of St. Louis is the general contractor for the project, and JLL is doing the leasing.