ARCO National Construction’s Pacific Coast division, located in Irvine, California, is providing design-build services for a cold storage facility renovation project in a 1.4-million-square-foot, existing Class A industrial building for a confidential national grocery retailer. The large-scale project will consolidate the company’s operations from multiple facilities to a single location.

Once completed, the facility will accommodate the grocery retailer’s full product line with over 800,000 SF of dry warehouse space and more than 500,000 SF of freezer/cooler space with a central ammonia refrigeration system and insulated metal panel “box-in-a-box” construction to provide multiple temperature zones. The project is reflective of a broader trend occurring nationally, as demand for temperature-controlled space is being driven by resilient industries like grocery, which has experienced sustained year-over-year growth since the onset of the pandemic.

“Online grocery shopping has led to a surge in demand for fresh, frozen, and specialty food items, requiring retailers to invest in larger and more strategically located cold storage facilities like this one,” says Brian Westre, Vice President for ARCO National Construction. “As a design-builder with extensive cold storage experience, ARCO is helping more and more grocery clients navigate design and capital allocation decisions as they look to increase capacity and expand operations. Our local team is grateful for the opportunity to bring this state-of-the-art facility to Southern California.”

The facility will also include a 55,000 SF corporate office and warehouse employee welfare amenities, including two gyms, break rooms, huddle rooms, and game rooms. Construction is expected to be complete in early 2025.