Now more than ever, retailers are locating distribution centers as close as possible to the urban cores of major cities.
It’s the reason that e-commerce giant Amazon – which is now offering product deliveries in under two hours – operates three distribution centers in metro Atlanta, the 9th largest metro area in the U.S.
Amazon’s current metro Atlanta distribution facilities are located in Braselton, Lithia Springs and Union City, and the company is reportedly scouting a fourth location in Stone Mountain, approximately 20 miles east of downtown Atlanta.
With the site’s proximity to a large portion of its Atlanta customer base, the Stone Mountain location would no doubt support Amazon’s increasingly speedy delivery goals. The project would also be a rarity in Atlanta – a multi-story distribution facility. By building up, Amazon would be able to pack more square footage per acre.
Amazon’s search for sites closer to Atlanta’s urban core mirrors Ackerman’s ongoing industrial investment strategy in metro Atlanta.
In addition to developing major projects such as Braselton Logistics Center Phases I and II in outlying submarkets that offer crucial interstate access, Ackerman is focused on strategic investments in locations near the city’s fast-growing “intown” submarkets.
A prime example is Ackerman’s biggest acquisition to date – Stone Mountain Industrial Park, a 4.1-million-square-foot business park offering distributors a wide-ranging mix of shallow-bay space. More recently, Ackerman acquired LaVista Business Park, a 4-building, 217,089-square-foot business center also located in the Stone Mountain industrial submarket. Both business parks offer quick access to I-285 and the rest of Atlanta’s extensive interstate network.
Like us, Amazon and other retailers know the value of close-in locations that provide quick access to Atlanta’s growing population and the opportunity for last-mile distribution to customers.
For more information, contact:
Brett Buckner | 770.913.3923
bbuckner@ackermanco.net