MIAMI-Econocaribe, a warehousing distribution company, whichhandles commodities, signed an 144,000-square-foot lease at the400,000-square-foot Airport East Distribution Center in Miami’sCentral Miami-Dade submarket east of Miami International Airport.The 40-year-old building, which was a former Associated Grocersfacility, recently underwent a $3 million renovation

Econocaribe has been in this submarket for several decades andneeded a larger facility with more truck-loading space and a largeryard in which to store trailers, says Michael Silver, first vicepresident at CB Richard Ellis in Miami, who was the broker for thelandlord, the Terranova Corporation and joint venture partner,Blackrock, a publicly traded asset management company.

The Airport East Distribution Center had been vacant for along time, says Silver. But in the last two quarters,interest in industrial real estate in Miami-Dade, including theAirport East Distribution Center, has picked up dramaticcally, hesays.