Kansas City-based commercial real estate development company Hunt Midwest and Ocala-based Boyd+Mox have completed construction on the new 251,388-square-foot Ocala South Logistics I, the first spec industrial facility in the new Ocala South Logistics Park at Florida Crossroads.

Building I is the only rear-load warehouse available in the market and features 32-foot clear height, 67 dock-high doors, two drive-in doors, 60-foot-deep speed bays, and 247 car parking stalls. Leasing options are available for users ranging from 50,000 square feet to 251,388 square feet.

Future phases in Ocala South Logistics Park will bring 1.4 million total square feet of Class A, dock-high industrial space to a 93-acre parcel in the Florida Crossroads Commerce Park. The industrial park is utility-ready with electric, gas, water, and sewer and features an electric substation and fiber optic signal generator on-site. Build-to-suit options are available for users of up to 555,000 square feet.

Ocala South Logistics Park is strategically located just three miles from Interstate 75 and four of the state’s six major trucking arteries cut across central Florida, bringing 70% of all truck traffic in the state through Ocala. The park is just 30 minutes from The Villages’ bustling retirement communities and is within a one- to two-hour drive of three major metro areas: Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville.

Ocala South Logistics Park’s central location and transportation access has made it a growing distribution and manufacturing base for some of the world’s largest companies. The site can reach more than 65 million consumers within one-day shipping and 230 million consumers within two-day shipping. FedEx Ground’s expansion in Ocala eventually will make that facility the largest in the company’s system, processing up to 70,000 packages per hour. Amazon, Chewy, and McLane all have invested in logistics hubs in Ocala and Ocala South Logistics Park is directly adjacent to a new PepsiCo distribution facility and Dollar Tree’s new 1.7 million-square-foot, 140-foot-tall, state-of-the-art distribution center.

“Ocala South Logistics Park is the perfect location for businesses in central Florida to expand with a great labor pool and immediate access to I-75,” said Mike Bell, Hunt Midwest Senior Vice President. “Building I will give those companies an immediate opportunity to retain their existing talent and attract new employees from an incredibly strong local labor force, while continuing to capitalize on Ocala’s strategic location to reach millions of consumers.”

The Ocala metro was named the sixth fastest growing metro in US News & World Report’s 2022 Best Places Lists and Florida is the fastest growing state in the country according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city also ranked No. 1 in 12-month job growth in a study by the Milken Institute and draws on a workforce of almost 440,000 employees within a 60-minute drive. A recent report by The Wall Street Journal and artificial intelligence forecasting company Climate Alpha also found Ocala — at 100 feet above sea level — has the lowest risk of coastal flooding and third lowest risk for high winds and inland flooding due to storms as residents and businesses alike become more weather aware.

“Market demand for rear-load industrial space in Ocala is proving to be strong,” said Thad Boyd, Chairman of Boyd+Mox Industrial Development. “Ocala South Logistics Park Building I represents the only available rear-load product in the market, and we are excited to serve our clients with this Class A building.”

“This is a great building in a fantastic location that is setting the bar for future area development,” said Kevin Sheilley, Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership CEO. “The combination of Hunt Midwest with Boyd+Mox is not only a win for our community but a touchdown for future and pending tenants.”

Hunt Midwest and Boyd+Mox have partnered with Kimley Horn for engineering, LS3P for building design, Evans General Contractors as general contractor, and CBRE’s Rian Smith, Kris Courier and Josh Tarkow for leasing. Leasing options for Building I and build-to-suit options for the remainder of the park remain available.