Industrial Users Increasingly Look to Cincinnati

CINCINNATI—Duke Realty Corp. has just executed a long-term lease agreement for a 617,760-square-foot, build-to-suit, omni-channel distribution facility in suburban Cincinnati with Design Within Reach. The building, which Duke is building on 46.83 acres in the South Afton Industrial Park in Williamsburg Township, OH, within a short drive of four major interstates. The company expects to deliver the building in early 2019.

Design Within Reach, a Stamford, CT-based furniture and home accessories company, is just the latest of many users that see this metro area as key to reaching a vast portion of the US. Amazon has decided, for example, to create a $1.4 billion hub at the Cincinnati/Northern KY airport. The extraordinary demand means the metro area has a bright future as a distribution hub.

“With the continued growth of our business, it’s the right time to expand our fulfillment and distribution capabilities to better serve our clients across North America,” says John McPhee, president of Design Within Reach. “We’re thrilled that our new facility will contribute to economic growth in the local area with the creation of many new jobs. In addition, this location will provide better access to I-77 and to the New York City metropolitan area, where we have a large client base and a significant portion of our deliveries take place.”

Design Within Reach already occupies several Duke buildings in Northern KY, but this new facility will serve as its only omni-channel fulfillment center in the country, according to Dan Colletto, vice president of leasing and development for Duke in Cincinnati. “This new facility will incorporate modern features that are designed to enhance storage, distribution and fulfillment capabilities and provide excellent access to several major highways.”

The new cross-dock facility will incorporate 36′ clear height, with the capability to support up to 443 automobile parking spaces and 138 trailer storage stalls. It will be expandable by 112,320 square feet. It will be the first constructed in South Afton Industrial Park, a 242-acre, shovel-ready campus established by the Clermont County Community Improvement Corp. Over the next 10 years, CIC officials say they hope to create more than 1,800 jobs and $1.5 billion in economic activity in the park.

“When we made the decision to purchase the South Afton property and invest in the infrastructure, we knew that over time our commitment would pay off,” says Ed Humphrey, commissioner and president of the county board. “The park will spur development in the eastern half of Clermont County, as well as generate hundreds of jobs as businesses locate here.”