By Joshua Burd
A fulfillment and logistics business has committed to a 300,000-square-foot, built-to-suit facility in North Brunswick, giving new life to an industrial site that was leveled by a massive fire nearly four years ago.
Brokers with CBRE announced this week that the business, Capacity LLC, had signed a long-term lease at 1601 Livingston Ave. Slated for delivery next February, the property will serve as the company’s new headquarters and will be custom-built with modern fulfillment technology.
CBRE Vice President John Maloney represented Capacity LLC, which is expanding beyond its existing footprint in North Brunswick.
“This site expands Capacity’s footprint in North Brunswick, with optimal transportation options and centralized labor pool,” Maloney said. “This new Class A development will provide Capacity with 36-40+ foot clear ceilings and 10,000 sq. ft. of custom renovated office space serving as their new headquarters. After conducting a highly targeted market analysis, we ascertained that 1601 Livingston Avenue met all of our client’s requirements.”
Located off Route 1, the property is the former site of a warehouse that was destroyed by a high-profile blaze in July 2015. Smoke was visible for miles as flames reportedly burned hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic, automotive parts and other merchandise inside the 600,000-square-foot facility.
Its owner, Brooklyn-based Achim Importing Co., used about half of the building to house its home furnishing products and other goods while leasing the remaining space to other users. The company subsequently relocated its operations.
In a separate announcement this week, Capacity said it was partnering with Achim as part of its move to the new facility. The company will relocate its headquarters to the property from nearby 1112 Corporate Road in the township, where it has an existing campus that it will maintain.
Combined with its other locations, the 20-year-old company will provide existing and future clients with around 1 million square feet of modern warehouse space.
“Capacity’s growth continues to outpace our warehouse footprint,” said Arlen Fish, the company’s chief financial officer. “Our preference has always been to keep our roots in North Brunswick, offering a centralized location for our employees with a surplus of local labor. We are strategically positioned to service the Northeast corridor and expand our California operations.”
Fish also credited Maloney and the CBRE team with being “instrumental in executing this deal, exhibiting deal patience and strategic oversight of our continued expansion in a very challenging real estate market.”