An Illinois industrial supplier is expected to begin construction of its North Texas distribution center in May — less than a year after the Fort Worth City Council approved an $18 million economic development package for the project.
The 841,000-square-foot climate-controlled warehouse and office space is expected to be completed by 2027, according to a state filing. McMaster-Carr Supply Co. will use automation to help distribute “an array of industrial parts” to customers nationwide.
Corgan Associates of Dallas is listed as the design firm for the project.
The Dallas Express reported in September the company plans to spend $360 million on the new regional headquarters in north Fort Worth. It supplies raw materials, hardware, tools, maintenance equipment, and industrial materials to commercial properties globally. The distribution center will be built on about 120 acres near Alliance Airport on Independence Parkway.
McMaster-Carr, with an inventory of hundreds of thousands of supplies and parts, also has operations in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Robbinsville, New Jersey. As part of its economic development agreement with the City of Fort Worth, the company must spend at least $180 million in real-property improvements by December 31, 2028, and $180 million in taxable business property by January 1, 2029.
In addition, McMaster-Carr must create a minimum of 150 full-time jobs at the facility by December 31 of the first operating year and at least 250 full-time jobs at the site by December 31 of the sixth operating year. The average minimum salary must be $85,000, and at least 30% of workers must be hired from Fort Worth.
The Fort Worth area has been expanding at a fast pace, with millions of dollars pouring into the city from development projects. While Dallas has its share of planned or in-progress developments, several aspects inhibit the city from pulling in more projects, including its density problem and slow permitting process.
Permit approval times under Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax have been a point of frustration for the development community, with many opting to build in other parts of North Texas, such as Fort Worth, Frisco, or Grand Prairie.