In Spartanburg County, a large tract of land is taking shape in what is set to become a large, best-in-class industrial park.
The 1,416-acre Flatwood Industrial Park is one of the few remaining large pieces of land in the Upstate near I-85 and Highway 221, a prime location for industrial uses. The first building, a 900,000-square-foot distribution facility for Rite Aid, is set to be completed in the next couple of weeks and will serve as the park’s anchor tenant. Another 362,774-square-foot industrial spec building will also be completed in late spring.
Spartanburg-based Johnson Development Associates purchased an initial 1,395 acres of former farmland in 2012 with a vision to create the industrial park. In 2015, the company acquired 17 additional acres. “It’s one of the last large mega-sites within our state,” said Josh Jones, JDA director of development, industrial division. The direct access to I-85 and close proximity to the Charlotte International airport, BMW and the Inland Port is what attracted the company to the site, he said.
Since then, JDA has been creating roads and bringing in sewer and other utilities to form the industrial park. A master plan has been created showing at least 10 additional large industrial buildings that could be build-to-suits and additional speculative buildings. JDA is actively trying to attract large distribution and manufacturing users and is very pleased with the level of interest and leasing activity in the spec building so far, said Rob Rain, president, JDA, industrial division. “Given the healthy industrial absorption levels in the Upstate and the continued demand for speculative space, we are excited about our long-term development plans,” said Jones.
