Responding to a need for more cold storage availability in the Upper Midwest region, WDS Construction partnered with Vortex Cold Storage and JCW Development to develop a new 173,400 sq. ft. convertible cold storage facility. The new building offers Safe Quality Food Certified storage space across four cells with temperatures ranges from 40 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, the facility features 12 truck docks maintained at 15 degrees. The project team was able to pull in various funding sources for the capital stack, including the first-ever use of PACE Equity Fast Track Funding for cold storage in the country. The City of Albert Lea also provided development incentives including tax abatement and tax incremental funding. The project was complicated by COVID-19 and global supply chain delays; however, the team responded with agility and ultimately had the facility ready to receive product only 10 months after initial groundbreaking.
