Amazon To Build Largest Distribution Center in South Florida After Scoring Approval From Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade commissioners have voted unanimously to sell a vacant lot located at 13200 Southwest 272nd Street near the Homestead Air Reserve Base in South Miami-Dade County to Amazon for $22,056,853, clearing the way for Amazon to build a new distribution center to service South Florida. Amazon will invest $80 million into the property to build out the distribution center which will be a minimum of 1 million square feet and could become the largest in the region. The distribution center would be used to distribute products including food, produce and groceries. The facility is expected to create at lease 325 permanent full-time jobs with an annual salary of $32,000. 25% of the funds paid by Amazon to acquire the site will be dedicated to the Miami-Dade Affordable Housing Trust and the remaining funds will be allocated to the Homestead Air Reserve Base Fund. The South Miami-Dade facility would be the 4th distribution center used by Amazon in the South Florida region.

Avison Young Completes 133,140 SF Of Industrial Leases In Broward County

Avison Young has announced it negotiated five industrial lease transactions totaling 133,140 SF in Broward County, Florida. The transactions were overseen by Avison Young Principals Tom Viscount and Wayne Schuchts. Sonny’s Enterprises, an international manufacturer and marketer of conveyorized carwash equipment, signed a 41,520 SF long-term lease expansion to fully occupy Westpoint Distribution Center at 5607 Hiatus Road in Tamarac. Colliers’ Ryan Goggins represented the landlord, Nuveen. Sonny’s Enterprises also signed a new 37,500 SF long-term lease at Tamarac Commerce Center at 6501 Nob Hill Road in Tamarac. Link Industrial Properties’ Eric Penaranda represented the landlord, GLP.

Stimwave, an online distributor and supplier of generic and brand name medicine, signed a new 26,000-square-foot lease at Park Central Business Park at 1310 Park Central Blvd. S in Pompano Beach. Duke Realty’s David Loudenslager represented the landlord. Lightfire Group, an e-cigarette and vapor distribution company, signed a 16,120 SF lease renewal at Westpoint Industrial Center II at 10601 State St. in Tamarac. Nothing Butt Cigarettes, a tobacco wholesaler and distributor, signed a 12,000 SF lease renewal at Westpoint Industrial Center II.

“West Broward and Pompano Beach continue to attract and retain industrial space users that value convenient access to locations throughout South Florida’s tri-county area via major thoroughfares,” said Tom Viscount of Avison Young. “Our clients had a differing range of space requirements in these tightening, in-demand submarkets, and it was a pleasure working with the landlords and their representation to meet those needs.”

The transactions reflect the continued robust demand for industrial space in Broward County. According to Avison Young’s year-end 2019 Broward County industrial report, West Broward, where Tamarac is located, posted the lowest vacancy rate in the county at 2.1%. Nearly 2.7 million SF of new industrial space was completed in the county, of which 1.1 million SF alone was delivered in Pompano Beach. The submarket still saw 456,773 SF of net absorption, indicating robust demand.

Avison Young Oversees Sale Of $70 Million Transformco Distribution Center To Reich Brothers

Avison Young’s Florida Capital Markets Group has overseen the sale and closing of the Transformco Distribution Center, the largest single-building industrial asset in Florida spanning nearly 2 million SF, to Reich Brothers. The transaction closed for $70 million for the 1,937,892-square-foot Transformco Distribution Center, located at 655 SW 52nd Ave. in Ocala. With a sale-leaseback agreement, Transformco continues to occupy the property to operate its main distribution center for the entire Southeast U.S. region supporting Sears, Kmart, and Hometown stores. The transaction brings Avison Young’s Capital Markets Group’s investment sales closed in the past 60 days alone to more than $300 million

Avison Young Principal and Miami Managing Director Michael T. Fay; Principals Jay A. Ziv, CCIM, SIOR, ALC; John K. Crotty, CCIM; and David Duckworth; Vice President Brian C. de la Fé; Associate Berkley Bloodworth; and Associate Emily Brais negotiated the sale on behalf of Transform Holdco. The buyer was Reich Brothers, a national industrial real estate firm specializing in manufacturing and distribution facilities across the U.S.

“Industrial continues to be the hottest asset type for investment in Florida, with Ocala standing out due to its quick access to every major market in the state as well as Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama,” said Fay. “The Distribution Center offered Reich Brothers the opportunity to acquire a substantial, in-demand, cash-flow property in Central Florida.”

Despite new construction, Central Florida’s distribution market maintains a vacancy rate in the low single-digits. In addition to Transformco, major distribution users in Ocala include ClosetMaid, Chewy, AutoZone, FedEx, and several others. Less than five minutes from Interstate 75, the Sears Distribution Center is within a four-hour drive time of 14 million people.

Avison Young’s Florida Capital Markets Group also completed the disposition of the 126,336-square-foot Sears location at 9409 U.S. Hwy 19 in Port Richey, Florida.