PREMIER Design + Build Group submitted the following statement:
Nashville is home to the third-fastest growing economy of all cities in the United States, and it’s not all about the music. In fact, Music City and the entire Middle Tennessee region is in a boom period thanks to the robust presence of healthcare, automotive, insurance, finance and publishing companies.
With businesses moving to Tennessee and new and established companies growing rapidly, the need for modern industrial facilities has become evident. Chicago-based developer HSA Commercial Real Estate is working with PREMIER Design + Build Group, LLC to fill some of that demand with new construction in the area to keep pace with the fourteen-county Nashville region that is experiencing such extraordinary growth.
A massive 652,000 square-foot distribution warehouse has been built in Lebanon, Tennessee (just 25 miles east of downtown Nashville). It’s adaptable with flexible configurations, features 32’ clear height warehouse space, 144 truck dock positions, four drive-in doors and every amenity new tenants desire. The new facility, Commerce Farms V, is the fifth and final building in the sprawling 145-acre business park.
“Nashville, the surrounding area and the people here have everything going for them,” says Joe Ahrens, Vice President of PREMIER Design + Build Group, LLC. “Strong urban growth is fueling the next wave of development, expanding into neighboring suburbs and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of it. The City of Lebanon has been great to work with – they’ve really been instrumental in moving this project forward. We are excited have had this opportunity to work with HSA Commercial Real Estate, they are a true leader in their field.”
While the Commerce Farms facility will meet tenants’ needs, construction held some challenges. The site was almost completely bedrock with only a few inches of soil at any given point. Blasting was required to a depth of more than 50’ in certain areas in order to produce a flat site for the building. Surge material from the blasts was processed and crushed on site to repurpose for fill. A concrete batch plant was also built on site to sustain the project’s heavy concrete demands. Finally, a tenant signed a lease that required an accelerated schedule for both exterior and interior build-out completion.
The new tenants have a large and skilled workforce to pick from. The greater Nashville metropolitan area combines several surrounding counties with a population of two million. To accommodate the projected influx of employees, the warehouse features 257 auto stalls and 84 truck stalls.
PREMIER Vice President Joe Ahrens was overseeing design + construction and Johnathan Nelsen was the field superintendent. Harris Architects provided architectural services and Swift Structural Design delivered structural engineering support. Civil-Site Design Group provided the civil engineering expertise needed to complete the warehouse. HSA Commercial Real Estate is the developer of the project.
