After completing a furniture showroom and distribution combination facility for City Furniture in Ocoee, Florida, in 2019, the Florida-based furniture retailer once again partnered with ARCO National Construction to construct a nearly 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center and furniture showroom in Plant City, Florida. The development includes more than 800,000 square feet of warehouse space, approximately 45,000 square feet of office space and nearly 200,000 square feet of two-story showroom space, making it one of the largest furniture destinations in the Sunshine state.
The new facility, which is located along the Interstate 4 corridor between Orlando and Tampa and houses the company’s corporate headquarters, was selected by a panel of local industry professionals as the 2023 winner of the CoStar Impact Award for commercial development of the year for Tampa. The large-scale showroom offers shoppers such on-site amenities as a café and wine bar, and a mattress gallery. The project is expected to bring 500 new jobs to the local market, and the developers are pursuing LEED certification for the project.
About the Project: City Furniture went all in with this project, banking that the massive expansion will enable it to out-compete Amazon and Wayfair by matching their same-day and next-day furniture delivery while also providing the added advantage of inviting customers to see the furniture and bedding before buying it.
What the Judges Said: "This was a monster build-to-suit for a company that was originally looking in Tampa and needed exposure. Huge for the market and our region," said Julia Silva, managing director for JLL.
"CITY Furniture is part warehouse, part showroom, part experiential "shopping theater" and has a draw and reach that makes it a new retail destination on the I-4 corridor," added Lee Schaffler, chief portfolio officer for Strategic Property Partners.
They Made It Happen: ARCO National Construction CEO Chris Wilson, Chief Operating Officer Brandon Lemmons, Vice President Sam Stahnke, Senior Project Manager Charlie Cravens, Project Manager Tyler Reed, Assistant Superintendent Nick Reesor, and Superintendent Dennis O'Grady oversaw construction on the massive project on behalf of City Furniture led by Co-Founder and Chairman Keith Koenig, CEO Andrew Koenig, President Ryan Cronin and Vice President of Facilities Ian Peshel.
