Chicago-based HSA Commercial Real Estate and Washington Capital Management, on behalf of one of its clients today announced the start of construction on the first phase of the 68-acre Bristol Highlands Commerce Center at Wilmot Road and 136^th Avenue in Bristol, Wis., near I-94 and the Wisconsin-Illinois border. Site work and mass grading for the business park is already underway, and the development team expects buildings to start going vertical later in June.

The first two speculative buildings, which are scheduled to deliver in the fourth quarter, include a rear-load 157,656-square-foot warehouse building with 31 truck docks and a cross-docked 472,216-square-foot distribution center with 72 truck docks. Jeff Hoffman and Chad Vande Zande of Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke in Milwaukee together with Eric Fischer of Cushman & Wakefield in Chicago are marketing the buildings for lease on behalf of ownership.

“While many developers are pushing pause right now as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe projects like Bristol Highlands Commerce Center are more important than ever to meet rising e-commerce demand,” said Bob Smietana, vice chairman and CEO of HSA Commercial Real Estate. “A growing dependence on e-commerce makes it critical for warehouse and logistics businesses to expand their capacities and streamline delivery capabilities – and developing high-clear, last-mile distribution facilities is essential to that operation.” 

“One of the important lessons we’ve learned from the COVID-19 crisis is that responsiveness and speed of delivery is critical during this time – and beyond – and we’ve adapted the occupancy process at this development to be more efficient as a result,” said Tim Thompson, HSA Commercial’s executive vice president and managing director of industrial brokerage. “HSA Commercial partnered with the Village of Bristol to map out an expedited use and occupancy process that will allow future tenants of Bristol Highlands Commerce Center to start shipping product from the building within one week of lease execution.”    

In addition to the two-building first phase, a remaining 25-acre parcel can accommodate up to a 450,000-square-foot warehouse for development on spec or as a build-to-suit for a total warehouse capacity of over 1 million square feet throughout the park. Each of the three buildings at Bristol Highlands Commerce Center will feature clear heights ranging from 32 feet to 36 feet, with generous trailer and employee parking. The business park also offers an attractive campus-like design that features sizable setbacks, enhanced landscaping and walking paths for workers that connect with the neighboring greenway and conservancy areas. 

HSA Commercial partnered with Washington Capital Management on behalf of one of its clients on the project. Itasca, Ill.-based Premier Design + Build is serving as general contractor, while Riverwoods, Ill.-based Partners in Design Architects is responsible for the project design and Brookfield, Wis.-based Pinnacle Engineering is managing civil engineering.