A spokeswoman for the New York City-based Avon says theproject's all-in estimated cost is $117 million, including land andequipment for the new center. Construction should begin by latesummer.

The distribution center will have the capacity for half ofAvon's sales volume in the US. It expected to employ about 500workers. Avon has nearly $9 billion in annual revenue worldwide,but the spokeswoman didn't have a breakdown for how much productthe facility will handle.

Avon announced in January that it is restructuring and goingfrom four distribution centers to three, keeping its sites inPasadena, CA and Atlanta and building in Ohio. As part of theconsolidation plan, a 375,000-sf distribution center in Glenview,IL will close when the Zanesville facility becomes fullyoperational in mid- 2010. A 480,000-sf facility in Newark, DE isexpected to close in mid-2009, the spokeswoman tells GlobeSt.com.Neither the Illinois nor the Delaware center could be upgraded tohandle the increased volume, according to the spokeswoman. About600 employees work at the two centers.