Developer Breaks Ground on New Industrial/Manufacturing Building, A Rarity in Tight Pinellas County Market

Building set to be completed the first quarter of 2024, addressing a need in a county with a 2.3% industrial vacancy rate.

A new state-of-the-art industrial/manufacturing building is coming to Pinellas County, a rarity in a county with very little industrially zoned land remaining for future development.

The Class A building, with more than 86,000 square feet of space on 12.5 acres, will help address a glaring need in Pinellas County for newer, more functionally efficient manufacturing space. The property has been designed to manufacturing standards with ample power, clear height and numerous front-load overhead doors, with flexibility to be subdivided.

Demand for manufacturing space remains strong in Pinellas County. This is bolstered by pro-business policies at both the state and local levels, and a quality of life that attracts not only corporate manufacturers but also the highly skilled workforce, trades and well-established training pipelines they depend on.

The Mid-Pinellas site is ideally located for manufacturing, with excellent access to international airports, seaports, bridges, arterial highways and interstates connecting Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee and Pasco counties.

The historically low industrial vacancy rate of 2.3% in the county is making it tough for companies to find existing or new industrial/manufacturing space that not only meets updated code requirements, but also has the power, technology and infrastructure requirements of prospective manufacturer tenants.

The property is owned and under development by CMNY Transitions, LLC whose principals are Chris Miller and Scott Seward. ARCO/Murray Construction Company, a leading national design-build contractor is handling the construction.

The building will feature architectural tilt-wall panel construction with aluminum storefront frames and tinted glass, 30-foot minimum clear height, 60 mil-TPO roof, ESFR fire system, 2,000 amp / 480v 3 phase power (4,000 amps available), eight dock-high overhead doors, drive-in ramps, and 122 parking spaces with approximately 1,000 lineal feet of frontage along Belcher Road.

“The targeted light manufacturing uses and industries for the building include high-tech components and electronics assembly, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries, as well as the aerospace and defense industries,” said Bruce Vaughan, SIOR, CCIM, of Vaughan Commercial Advisors, who is handling leasing. “The site would also be well-suited for medical, device assembly and manufacturing, an industry that continues to grow and is already well-established in Pinellas County.”

The Pinellas County Employment Sites Program awarded $1,723,000 to assist with construction of the manufacturing facility, including sitework, infrastructure, and additional land development costs associated with updated stormwater management and mitigation requirements.

“This building will bring much-needed new industrial/manufacturing space to the county in a time when it is needed,” said Teresa Brydon, Redevelopment Manager with Pinellas County Economic Development. “The Belcher product will help transition existing manufacturers into new modern facilities to meet demands tied to their growth.”

Background

CMNY Transitions, LLC purchased the former Transitions Optical manufacturing building in 2017, including the additional 12.5 acres zoned M-1 to the north of the building. The ownership group subsequently sold the Transitions Optical building to Madico, Inc., and retained the additional 12.5 acres for future development.

CMNY’s related LLCs have also completed two other successful development projects in Pinellas County, including the purchase, renovation and adaptive reuse of the ATK Missile Systems facility into an Amazon last-mile delivery facility located at 13133 34th St N. CMNY also developed a striking Class A industrial warehouse building located at 4701 Ulmerton Road, drawing national tenants including BluePearl Pet Hospital, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery and The Original Mattress Factory.

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