Alaska Breaks Ground on New Cold Chain Logistics Hub
Alaska Cargo & Cold Storage has broken ground on the first phase of a new logistics campus at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The initial phase will create 100,000 square feet of temperature-controlled and dry cargo storage at one of the world's busiest cargo airports.
- The new facility is part of a larger plan to develop up to 700,000 square feet of climate-controlled warehouse space, transforming the airport from a refueling stop to a global logistics hub. - Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a critical node in the global supply chain, ranking as the fourth-busiest cargo airport in the world and second-busiest in the United States. Its location is within a 9.5-hour flight of 90% of the industrialized world. - The project is a joint venture between McKinley Capital Management, an Alaska-based investment firm led by Rob Gillam, and industrialist Chad Brownstein, founder of Rocky Mountain Resources. - To support its development, the project was awarded a $21 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. - Construction of the first phase is projected to create 830 jobs with $56.9 million in labor income. Once fully operational, the entire two-phase project is estimated to generate an annual economic output of $58.7 million. - The facility is being built on the airport's last undeveloped site under a 55-year lease with the State of Alaska and is located within a Foreign Trade Zone, which provides special customs procedures and other efficiencies. - Historically, a lack of storage has made Anchorage a "gas-and-go" hub for cargo planes. This facility will enable the transfer and storage of perishable goods, such as Alaska's seafood, pharmaceuticals, and other time-sensitive products.
