Nearly 800-acre new development set to become Hyundai plant neighbor in Bryan County
The Hyundai plant will not open until 2025 – but it already has a neighbor.
Rooker, a real estate and construction management firm, broke ground on the Seaport 16 Trade Center last week. The 797-acre development is located at Olive Branch Road and Highway 80 — just five miles away from the megasite.
The Class-A industrial space can accommodate more than seven million square feet.
“We have followed the impressive growth at the Port of Savannah and tenant demand from port-related users continues to be strong,” said John Rooker, CEO of Rooker. “We’re excited to attract high quality jobs and industry to Bryan County over the next several years at Seaport 16.”
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Vice President Cason Bufe said his team spent three years looking for new land and was impressed with Bryan County’s workforce, which prompted them to take a closer look at that area.
“We definitely think the labor force in that area is very strong and we think that is going to be a selling point to future employers in the park,” said Bufe, adding that it could be a good fit for Hyundai if they want to have suppliers within arm’s reach.
“I think anytime you have an investment of that size from a global company like Hyundai, it’s good for the area in terms of growth and investment,” said Bufe. “It’s possible there will be suppliers that Hyundai may want to have in buildings close by, but it’s too early to tell.”
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There are currently no tenants and completion of the building is scheduled for 2023. Rooker said the shell is a much-needed addition to the Savannah area as the port continues to grow.
“At Seaport 16, we can lay out three buildings larger than 1,300,000 square feet, which is unique in Savannah,” said Rooker. “We continue to see our tenants ask for larger buildings and parking areas and we can accommodate those requirements at Seaport 16. We see those trends continuing as the Southeastern population continues to grow.”
Jon Seagraves, chairman for the Development Authority of Bryan County, said the development will help progress the “speed to market process.”
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“We are excited that Rooker has begun construction on its first building,” said Seagraves. “Having buildings like Rooker’s under construction will help make Bryan County more competitive and will help us continue to accommodate projects fueled by the rapid growth of the Port of Savannah.”
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Rooker announces new development near Hyundai plant in Bryan County GA
