In a June 3 study session, the Gilbert Planning Commission/Design Review Board met to discuss a proposed cold storage warehouse facility for AEJ Desert Enterprise on nearly five acres at 455 E. Baseline Road.
The property is part of the Cardon Meadows/Horizon Engineering Industrial Park Planned Area Development. The planned project will require a master site plan amendment within the larger 10.76-property.
According to the staff report, the property was originally developed for a 35.8KSF Phoenix Newspapers Inc. distribution warehouse that has since been vacated. The new development will demolish the current structure and build a new warehouse facility centered around food storage and distribution.
The new 58.6KSF building will be built between two existing industrial users to the north and south. Ten off-street loading spaces are planned along the west side, with screening in place on the north side to shield the space from existing users.
A total of 65 parking spaces is required, but 85 will be provided under the development plan. There will be two access points provided along Baseline Road, which will be supported by the north-south drive aisles already in place on the east and west sides and by the two east-west drive aisles through the middle of the site. The overall internal circulation aligns with the original approval.
Maximum building height will be 44 feet, with the primary roofline set at 35 feet.
Because of the facility’s planned operational type, the traditional warehouse exterior of stucco or concrete masonry unit will not suffice. According to the report, “The exterior materials selected for this project are insulated metal panels, selected for their performance characteristics and compatibility with the building’s operational needs… It is important to note that the proposed materials differ from those typically seen in conventional industrial or commercial structures. The warehouse is specifically designed to support the storage and regional distribution of food and related goods throughout the Greater Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. As such, traditional exterior materials such as stucco or CMU would not provide the level of insulation required to maintain appropriate interior conditions for temperature sensitive products. The insulated metal panel system is therefore an operational necessity rather than an aesthetic deviation.”
Staff and project representatives are collaborating to enhance the project’s architectural presence, including looking at additional articulation and design features to increase the building’s visual quality while maintaining focus on its intended uses.
The preliminary site plan gives the following breakdown for how the space will be used:
- Warehouse: 29.15KSF,
- Freezer: 11KSF,
- Cooler/Freezer Prep: 10.84KSF,
- Dry Dock/Charging: 5.125KSF and
- Cold Dock: 5.125KSF.
As the meeting was a study session, no action was taken.
Project documents identify the project owner as AEJ Desert Enterprise, LLC, which traces back to California-based food distribution wholesaler Soto Provision Inc. The design firm is GMA Architects, Inc. Prefling Engineering is the civil engineering firm and project representative. CollectiV Landscape Architects is the landscape designer.
