Robinson Weeks Partners Break Ground on Two Additional Facilities at Gillem Logistics Center

Rapid growth continues in Metro Atlanta’s booming industrial real estate market, with the latest development breaking ground at Gillem Logistics Center just last week courtesy of developers Robinson Weeks Partners. The two new buildings, Gillem 1100 (909,509 SF) and Gillem 1200 (377,520 SF) will be designed as “Class A speculative distribution centers… designed to appeal to a broad range of industrial users and logistics providers” according to a press release from the developer’s representative.

Gillem 1100 will occupy the westernmost section of the center, while Gilleum 1200 will be constructed in the south section of the center, just off Anvil Block Road. The first building is scheduled for delivery in Q1 2022, while the later is slated for completion in Q2 2022. Leasing and marketing operations will be overseen by global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

The two buildings are the 7th development by Robinson Weeks Partners at the Gillem Logistics Center complex. The Center is located approximately 12 miles south of Downtown Atlanta, and features more than 8.5 million feet of industrial and commercial space. The masterplan depicts a total of 9 large industrial buildings, with a number of smaller support buildings and historic facilities. Additionally, future mixed-use development is planned for land adjacent to Moreland Avenue.

The continued growth at Gillem Logistics Center reflects a regional boom in the industrial real estate market due to Atlanta’s geographic advantage as a logistics hub and pandemic induced e-commerce expansion. Metro Atlanta added nearly 19 million SF of occupied industrial real estate in the first half of 2021, and does not show any signs of slowing down.

While the facilities at the Gillem Logistics Center may be state-of-the-art, the location is not exactly a greenfield. Construction of the complex began in 2015 on the former site of the U.S. Army’s Fort Gillem, which operated from 1941 to 2011. The City of Forest Park purchased the shuttered fort in 2012 for $30 million with hopes to develop a mixed-use project. However, the recession and unresolved pollution concerns led to the City pursuing industrial development instead. The site is still listed as a Superfund Site on the Environmental Protection Agency‘s website.