Medline Industries Phoenix Distribution Center
Located on a 36-acre site at the southwest corner of 87th Avenue and Buckeye Road within Phoenix Logistics Center, the Medline medical supplies distribution center is a fully-customized 630,000-square-foot, LEED-Certified build-to-suit. The single-story tilt-up concrete facility features a 9,000-square-foot main office together with a 604,000-square-foot warehouse/distribution area in a cross-dock configuration. The warehouse component incorporates a 37′ clear height, 60 dock doors, an ESFR sprinkler system, two (2) two-story shipping and receiving.
Unique components include the 16,956-square-foot temperature-controlled room that provides storage for temperature-sensitive medical supplies, a state-of-the-art conveyor system with an automated pic module, and several environmentally-forward features such as motion activated LED lighting resulting in its LEED designation.
Site Challenges
From the onset of the project, the team knew that a Land Swap agreement with the Federal Government would be necessary in order to relocate a 10-foot portion of a federally owned concrete irrigation ditch that was partially situated on the City of Phoenix’s roadway. McShane immediately began the process of obtaining approval in order to complete half-street improvements on 87th Avenue and a street access point to the building. The lengthy process required extensive paperwork and several meetings with the City.
Due to McShane’s good standing with the City and proven experience, the firm overcame this challenge by prompting the municipality to grant the Certificate of Occupancy to Medline before the work was complete to avoid any schedule delays.
Another major challenge was realized when the team began excavation to prepare for the installation of 5,400 linear feet of 12″ waterline. McShane realized that the original drawings and records of the underground utilities were incorrect as several unforeseen utility lines were present in the area. To avoid damaging existing lines, McShane carefully hand-dug the area allowing for the successful installation of the new waterline.
Financial Success
The design-build construction delivery method provided the ultimate financial success of the Medline project. McShane and Ware Malcomb utilized innovative methods to maximize design while minimizing project costs. In the end, the project came in $1.4 million under budget
