Limited Supply, High Build Costs Ratchet Demand for Infill Cold Storage
Two facilities totaling more than 500,000 square feet recently sold for nearly $64 million after Provender Partners made extensive improvements and secured 10-year leases from Dollar General in both locations.
SAN ANTONIO—Industry professionals say infill cold storage assets will become more valuable in light of limited supply and high build costs. Fitting that description are two facilities totaling more than 500,000 square feet that Provender Partners recently sold in San Antonio and St. Louis for nearly $64 million.
Last year, Provender Partners invested more than $6 million in extensive improvements and renovations to the distribution centers before securing 10-year leases from Dollar General in both locations. With freezer, cooler and dry storage, the properties are part of Dollar General’s new DG Fresh initiative to bring logistics capabilities in-house, seeking further control over its operations as it expands into the fresh and frozen food categories.
Guy Ponticello and Robert Gibson of CBRE along with Scott Delphey of Food Properties Group represented Provender Partners.
“Both of the properties feature strong surrounding demographic profiles, and coupled with tenancy from an investment grade-rated corporation, they offer a unique and compelling investment,” said Neil A. Johnson, founder and CEO of Provender Partners.
The San Antonio center is 267,702 square feet from its location at 5505 Kaepa Ct. The property features 29- to 37-foot clear heights and immediate rail access. The property is situated in the largest industrial submarket of the combined Austin and San Antonio metropolitan areas, and benefits from immediate access to the San Antonio airport in addition to Interstates 410 (encircling San Antonio), 10 (to Houston) and 35 which runs from Texas to Minnesota.
The St. Louis distribution center is 232,556 square feet, located at 7101 Hazelwood Ave. in Berkeley, MO. It was recently renovated in 2020 and features cross-dock loading capabilities and 35-foot clear heights. The facility has immediate access to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and national east-west artery Interstate 70 which runs from North Carolina to Arizona, in addition to Interstates 55 (Chicago-St. Louis-Memphis-New Orleans), 64 (to Louisville) and 44 (to Oklahoma City).
These sales are the latest in a string of recent Provender Partner transactions. Earlier this year, the company sold a $90 million asset in Fort Worth, leased a 267,000-square-foot building to Dollar General and added two processing facilities, 220,000 square feet in Illinois and 161,000 square feet in Oakland, CA, to its portfolio.
“As demand for infill cold storage facilities increases, assets such as the Dollar General facilities will become more valuable in light of limited supply and high build costs,” Johnson tells GlobeSt.com. “Provender has recently started fundraising for a new investment vehicle as demand grows for its expertise in refrigerated real estate.”