Construction on Lowell refrigerated warehouse complex to start in August
Construction on an almost $60 million automated refrigerated warehouse facility on 27 acres at approximately the northwest corner of Interstate 65 and Indiana 2 is scheduled to begin next month.
The planned 245,730-square-foot facility, dubbed Project Pumpkin, is about double the investment U.S. Cold Storage Inc. of Camden, New Jersey, from when it was originally proposed to Lake County officials in 2017.
The Lake County Council recently updated the terms of the 10-year tax abatement it granted when it created an Economic Revitalization Area for the project in 2017 to reflect the changes in investment by U.S. Cold Storage as it prepares to break ground.
Councilman Randy Niemeyer, R-Cedar Lake, said that while the project is a greater investment it is still expected to produce about the same number of jobs, roughly 60, according to the statement of benefits provided with the tax abatement. Niemeyer said the average wage is expected to be about $62,000, which will be higher than the $36,000 originally anticipated.
“It’s a pretty positive project. It fits the area. Being close to the truck stops and the interstate entrance and exit ramps, it makes sense for that area,” he said.
U.S. Cold Storage has 37 facilities in 13 cities and employs more than 2,400 people, according to documents provided to the county by the company. The company for more than 100 years has provided refrigerated storage and distribution services, which today range from primary storage to integrated third party logistics solutions.
Niemeyer said the unincorporated areas of Lake County along the I-65 corridor are a good place for this type of development.
“I think you will see a lot more of this type of development happen here in Lake County,” Niemeyer said.
The Indiana business climate continues to get better every year, Niemeyer said, and the region’s proximity to Chicago and recent infrastructure investments make the county even more attractive.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. also is showing more interest in the area, he added.
“They are kicking the tires in Lake County on a couple of things. We are finally starting to see some of that attention all of region folks have wanted for a long time,” Niemeyer said.
