United Natural Foods Inc plans to lease a new 590,000-square-foot distribution center in Lancaster TX. Owned by ProLogis, a global provider of distribution facilities, the recently constructed building is 15 miles south of downtown Dallas at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 35. The facility provides UNFI with a location to support retailers throughout the Southwest, including Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Operations are scheduled to begin in autumn 2010 and, within the first year, the company expects to employ approximately 130 new associates at the facility. The Lancaster facility will be the company’s 21st distribution center in its nationwide distribution network.
Schematic design plans for the new facility are near completion. They include dry grocery as main program space; 54,000 square feet of refrigeration and freezer space; an expanded cold dock; and nearly 20,000 square feet for employee offices and workspaces. Environmental design plans will focus on resource and energy conservation, use of sustainable and recycled-content building materials, and exceptional indoor air quality for the building occupants.
UNFI intends to submit an application to the USGBC for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification upon completion of the buildout. LEED is a third-party certification program and a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. The program promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Visit www.unfi.com for more information.
