Ace Hardware plans massive new warehouse in Plant City
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jun 22, 2020

Ace Hardware will move from a warehouse it built in East Tampa nearly 50 years ago to a brand new facility in Plant City that's nearly double the size of its current home.

The company, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, has struck a deal with a joint venture of Blue Steel Development and Aspyre Properties to build a 710,000-square-foot warehouse on County Line Road in Plant City. Its current facility, built in 1972, is 390,212 square feet, according to Hillsborough County property records.

The lease was signed in mid-June, and construction is slated to begin in October and wrap up in November 2021. Gary Bauler, Kris Courier and Rian Smith of CBRE Group Inc. in Tampa represented Ace Hardware in the transaction.

"This was the closest site [to the existing facility] that could handle the size of building they wanted that had most of the development approvals in place," Bauler told the Tampa Bay Business Journal. "It's a strategic move for them, and it's been in the planning stages for a long time."

For Plant City, where the development will create 200 construction jobs, the deal is a win. But East Tampa, an area both Mayor Jane Castor and Tampa City Council are focused on revitalizing, will lose jobs as a result of the relocation. A Tampa city councilman has proposed sunsetting the Channel district's community redevelopment area status so that its property taxes go back into the general fund where they can be spent on poorer communities like East Tampa.

Warehouse development and leasing continues to be a major bright spot despite the novel coronavirus pandemic. Demand for warehouse space is expected to continue as the pandemic and social distancing guidelines force more shopping to transition online.

“On behalf of our city commission, I would like to welcome Ace Hardware Corporation to Plant City,” Mayor Rick Lott said in a statement. “Development activity along County Line Road continues to generate great employment and economic development opportunities for our city, its residents and our neighbors.”

The distribution center services more than 200 retail locations throughout Florida, and Ace Hardware plans to gradually add 40 new jobs at the new location.

“Ace’s continued volume growth has driven our need for a larger facility to accommodate our growing business demands," said Lori Bossman, executive vice president and chief supply chain officer for Ace Hardware. "This relocation will enable faster service for Ace retailers and ultimately our valued customers.”