Equal to 26 football fields, Lowe’s to build 1.5 million square foot distribution center in city

Published 8:40 pm Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Lowe’s will open a $75 million, 1.5 million square foot regional distribution center in the 932-acre Virginia Port Logistics Park off of U.S. Route 58, bringing with it 100 jobs.

Following a brief closed session at Wednesday’s Economic Development Authority board meeting, members voted 6-0 to authorize a $1 million Economic Development Investment Program grant for Lowe’s to build the warehouse, the equivalent to 26 football fields, off of Enterprise Drive behind Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA and GXO Logistics. The grants come from local money, based on capital investment and job creation, and the EDA administers it.

The state is expected to make a formal announcement about the new distribution center Thursday.

Email newsletter signup

“I think it’s a good deal for everybody,” said Deputy City Manager Kevin Hughes. “Positive tax revenue, (and) it’ll employ 100 people. The plan was to build out the park with users like that. Lowe’s is obviously a strong user and I think it’ll be a good fit.

Hughes said the Equus-owned logistics park has another site of about 1 million square feet still available, and has room for some smaller, 120,000 square foot facilities.

Across U.S. 58, at Westport, McDonald Development is preparing sites, one large-size, Hughes said, and “then, we’re pretty close to full.”

Lowe’s currently has 15 regional distribution centers across North America, the closest being about 60 miles away in Garysburg, North Carolina, near Roanoke Rapids.