Vertical industrial as a solution for urban development

The Wall Street Journal presents projects driven by the last-mile problem and demands for increasing speed-to-delivery.

The growing market for delivering products within hours has resulted in the emergence of industrial distribution in urban areas. Innovo Property Groupand Square Mile Capital Management LLC are planning one of the first vertical industrial facilities in the United States, to be located on Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx.

As New York City has lost many industrial sites to housing and mixed-use development, it has seen newfound needs for industrial sites that can accommodate rapid distribution and fulfillment driven by e-commerce. The Bruckner project represents the advent of a new kind of industrial development, perfectly tailored to serve cities and well positioned to e-commerce.

At a nexus for infrastructure and transportation, the site has access to the East River via Westchester Creek as well as an unparalleled 6-way intersection of interstate highways.

Designed by KSS Architects, the facility is envisioned as a vital organ of the city, providing goods, products, and services to the communities it serves:

• Visible from 15 miles above the city, the design operates at an urban scale that transcends street, block, and neighborhood.
• As a building of grand scale, the facility occupies an important visual space at the edge of a neighborhood.
• Accessible by subway, by bus, by car, and by foot, it also offers a place where communities members can work.
• As a hub positioned to serve tens of millions of people, the development will provide last-mile delivery to the 5 boroughs.

Read the full article.