New warehouses heading to Industrial Park

John Lindt 4:58 p.m. PDT

April 24, 2015

The Heller family hears opportunity knocking at the door of the Visalia Industrial Park.

Adam Heller, along with his father, owned Heller Performance Polymers on Doe Avenue until it was sold in an employee buyout a few years ago. The Heller Family retained about 53 acres. After selling off 13 acres with a building to their neighbors to the east — Hydrite Chemical — they still have 40 acres to decide what to do with.

The land is vacant after having demolished the old 65,000sf plastics plant that sat on it.

The open land is divided by a rail spur and Adam Heller said he would like to build two large rail-served warehouses on the property, where there has been very little built during the past few years.

Visalia broker Doug Burr says the Visalia Industrial park has only one 50,000 square-foot warehouse available for lease right now, making it prime real estate. The plan is to construct two new 400,000 square-foot warehouses for a built-to-suit for a tenant.

Need for more rail services

“We expect it to fill quickly,” Burr said, noting demand is high and supply virtually nonexistent — particularly for rail-served property.

“There is none I know of in the Central Valley,” he added.

A number of industries, notably food, seek to have both the ability to ship and receive by truck and rail.

Visalia officials have recognized the need for additional rail service to the industrial park area and are working with Tulare County Association of Governments, TCAG, on a plan to add more rail connections.

The city is processing Heller’s plan for the two warehouses.

“We hope to have the building up within a year,” Adam Heller said. “At 800,000 square-feet, the buildings would be the largest constructed in the industrial park in a number for of years.”

Fresno’s Diversified Development is working with Visalia officials to build on the space at American Street and Riggin Avenue.

The industrial park is big job generator employing about 5,000 people, according to Mayor Steve Nelsen.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Visalia Economic Development Corporation, Vice Mayor Warren Gubler said discussions with TCAG regarding the potential for expanding rail service to our zoned industrial land would not be occurring without the efforts of the Visalia EDC.

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2015/04/24/new-warehouses-heading-industrial-park/26333939/