Saxum Real Estate and Black Salmon recently broke ground on a 294,840-square-foot cold storage project for tenant Arcadia Cold, a leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider. 

Clayco is serving as the design-build general contractor. Upon completion, the project will feature 50-foot clear height, ample dock space and dock doors to expedite distribution and container handling services, and convertible rooms with temperature capabilities between -10 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

 The facility will contain approximately 38,000 pallet positions and is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2026. 

“The Arcadia Cold team is excited to announce this new facility in Joliet, Illinois,” said JD Schwefler, chief commercial officer at Arcadia Cold. “The greater Chicago regional market is vital to our strategy of developing a nationwide distribution network for our customers. This Joliet facility, alongside our Crown Point location, will work together to provide enhanced services for regional production facilities and fast-moving consumer packaged goods programs, ensuring our customers have access to high quality cold storage options across the region.” 

The 27-acre site is located in a Chicago submarket which is known as “The Crossroads of Mid-America,” the site is between Interstates 55 and 80. The site is six miles from the Centerpoint Intermodal Center, the largest inland port in North America and within a 50-mile radius of Midway and O'Hare airports.  

“Saxum identified Joliet as a premier cold storage market for regional and national distribution due to its central location, proximity to rail and intermodal terminals and excellent highway accessibility,” said Sean Gilbert, principal at Saxum Real Estate. 

Arcadia Cold is the seventh largest cold storage operator in the U.S.