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SAUGET, IL-A joint venture between Clayco and Balke Brown Associates, both based in St. Louis, are planning a distribution center at the 255 Logistics Center on Sauget Business Boulevard. Balke is the lead developer for the project, with Clayco the design-builder. Land owner East Company Enterprises, based in Sauget, is also a partner for the project, says Don Land, principal with Balke. The cost for the 502,500-sf building, including the cost of land acquisition, is estimated at $18 million.

The distribution center plan includes cross docks, enabling it to be a single-tenant building or a multi-tenant building, says Jeff Cannedy, project executive with Clayco. The facility will also have tilt-up concrete exterior walls, 32-foot interior clear heights, ESFR fire protection and parking for 75 trailers. There is space along the building that could be used for parking for approximately an additional 300 trailers, he says. The building is expected to be completed in February. The facility will be able to be expanded to at least 800,000 sf, Cannedy says. The asking lease rate will be $3.35 per sf net, Land says.

The project is only 3.5 miles from Downtown St. Louis and is adjacent to I-255, Land says. The building will be constructed on a 28-acre site and is part of 200 acres in the 255 Logistics Center that the partnership will develop, Land says. Land did not have estimates for the total value or square footage for the 200-acre development. Forum Studio Inc. is the architect for the project. Stock & Associates is the civil engineer and Alper Audi is the structural engineer for the project.