Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – A new 250,000 square foot warehouse is in development for Springfield’s southwest side. It’s one indicator that warehousing, logistics and distribution could be big business for Springfield.  

According to Ryan McCrady, president and CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, the land at the Chatham exit off Interstate 55 is already zoned industrial, but the property owner has filed for some adjustments to the land use stipulations. The site is currently being used as farmland. Michelle Ownbey, publisher of the Springfield Business Journal, reports the end user for the warehouse operation is likely to be Frito-Lay. The facility is expected to employ 150 to 200 people.

McCrady said the facility will “be a good sign to other developers that this is a great place for those kind of activities.” Market reach is one advantage Springfield has over other Midwestern cities. “You can reach a third of the country’s population in a one-day truck drive from Springfield. That’s more than you can reach from Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis or Nashville,” said McCrady. 

Springfield’s positive attributes include being located at the intersection of two interstates, having five Class 1 railroads and being home to an established truck driver training program at Lincoln Land Community College.  

McCrady was a guest on the WTAX Morning Newswatch. To get more information on this story and other developments, check out the podcast.