The new facility will be fully operational in five to six months, J. Holmes Davis IV, senior vice president of Binswanger, the leasing agent, told GlobeSt.com. Construction on an expansion to double the space tentatively is set to begin in two to three months, he says.

Montgomery Ward had occupied nearly 1 million sf in Ft. Worth until a March 28 tornado ripped off its roof and caused other serious damage to its west end location. Montgomery Ward is joining other major retailers, including Kmart and Russell Stouffer, who have opted to abandon the metroplex for Corsicana. The town is bisected by Interstate 45, leading to Houston, while the Montgomery Ward 73-acre site is situated close to a rail line.

The distribution center will service Montgomery Ward's southwest operation. The company is one of the nation's largest privately owned retailers, employing 49,000 people at about 250 stores in more than 30 states.