There is enough concrete for 25 miles of sidewalks. Lighting it requires 1,280 fixtures. Step inside and you know what it looks like to put a roof over the equivalent of about four square blocks.
This is Johnson County’s newest and largest warehouse and the largest Maytag Inc. warehouse in the nation.
On Monday, area business leaders, economic development groups and city officials gathered at the new 750,000-square-foot warehouse north of Penn Street for a ribbon cutting and opening ceremony.
“After a few little bumps in the road, we got it done, and we got it done early,” said Joe Mikes, senior vice president for development services at First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. the company that is leasing the 46-acre site to Maytag.
Construction on the warehouse began last summer and despite 29 days of documented rain delays, crews finished a month earlier than expected, Mikes said. Additional bumps came with material costs as the project, which changed its site location in May, was met by some of the highest steel prices in years, officials said.
The warehouse will be used for distribution of all Maytag brand home products in the northern Midwest and central Canada. The rectangular building, which hits 36 feet at its highest point, is equal in size to 13 football fields, which measure 57,600 square feet according to 2004 NCAA rules. Werle Construction Co.’s 410,000-square-foot warehouse in Coralville now is the county’s second largest warehouse. Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble Co. owns a 550,000-square-foot distribution center in West Branch in Cedar County.
Joe Raso, president of the Iowa City Area Development Group Inc., worked in partnership with fellow economic development group, Priority One of Cedar Rapids, to inform Maytag about the area.
“Dealing with a nationally recognized company bodes well for the community as it works to market itself to the nation and world,” Raso said of what Maytag’s presence will mean for the town.
North Liberty’s landscape has changed in just a few years with new bike trail extensions, several new neighborhoods, ongoing construction of a new elementary school and improved community center, Raso said. As more land has become available for development, city leaders should continue to be aggressive when marketing the North Liberty’s location and amenities, and be sensitive to construction time frames for potential commercial or industrial businesses, Raso said.
A four-month search for the warehouse site brought Maytag to North Liberty for its land prices and proximity to Interstates 80 and 380, officials said. In addition, Maytag spokeswoman Lynne Dragomier said the company was attracted to North Liberty for the cooperative relationship with public officials and economic development groups, as well as the available work force.
About 70 people will work in the building, said Jason Miller, facilities manager. Jobs will range from office support staff to fork lift operators and inventory control staff, he said. Hiring has begun and all positions should be filled by the end of January, he said.
Another draw for Maytag was the tax incentive package North Liberty provided, officials said.
In exchange for the new facility, North Liberty agreed to grant Maytag Corp. property tax incentives. The city agreed to five-year tax abatement that totals about $1.1 million and nine years of tax rebates worth about $2 million. The property’s total taxable value is $16 million.
City Administrator Brian James said city officials agreed to install lights, a storm sewer and water main extension along Alexander Way, the main drive to the warehouse. Maytag’s presence in North Liberty adds to existing industrial businesses like Centro Inc., L.L. Pelling, North Liberty Plastics and J.M. Swank, he said.
From Press-Citizen.com