A commercial developer has announced plans to construct a 180,000-square-foot industrial distribution center near Eastview Road on Settlers Ridge Parkway in Woodbury, where it will anchor the 85-acre site of the former Black Diamond Granules development.
MSP Commercial, better known in Woodbury for its medical-office structures, is building with the expectation that a manufacturing or distribution tenant will find its docks, drive-in loading and direct access to Interstate 94 attractive. Otherwise, the bulk of the Black Diamond development will be occupied by storage facilities. The site sits north of the new Amazon sorting center and the Eagle Brook Church.
In a written statement, MSP Commercial vice president Steve Miller called industrial distribution a relatively new product type for Woodbury. “Changes to the economy, workforce practices and vast improvements in industrial and manufacturing processes have opened the doors for a handful of industrial sites to be allowed in the area over the past couple of years,” he said.
The project team includes RJ Ryan Construction and Mohagen Hansen Architecture, with backing from Onward Investors, an Edina-based real estate investment firm. Construction is expected to continue through the winter, with proposed completion next spring.
Based in Eagan, MSP Commercial has generally specialized in medical office development, including 1.3 million square feet of property management.
