High-End Amenities Begin Migrating to Industrial
Amenities that have become de rigeur in high-end office properties have begun crossing over. Outside of Tokyo, you’ll find a climbing wall, daycare facilities and common spaces typical of Class A office—in a distribution center.
“And why not? People want those amenities,” says Rich Thompson, who leads the global supply chain & logistics solutions team at JLL. “They’re an attraction.”
That’s not to say that these have become everyday features at industrial facilities. In big-box warehouses on the outskirts of major cities, a break room often will have “folding aluminum chairs and a vending machine selling potato chips, and that’s it,” Thompson says.
However, JLL says the proliferation of e-commerce has begun changing this no-frills approach. “There has been a proliferation of high-tech distribution centers that require legions of skilled workers,” according to JLL. “In the U.S., warehouse employment has risen 90% since the start of the millennium, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
In the logistics sector as in other industries vying for skilled labor, “The biggest challenge faced by companies today is attracting and retaining labor,” says Thompson. “If you’re going to be in a nice working environment—with restaurants you enjoy, with a state-of-the-art gym—you will put more weight on joining that company.”
Although tenants will be the key drivers of change in the level of amenities available at industrial facilities, developers need to play their part as well, says JLL.
One developer taking the lead in this area is Prologis. Building D at the company’s Prologis Park Tacoma in Tacoma, WA (pictured) is reportedly the first logistics facility in the world to be awarded WELL certification by the International WELL Building Institute.
“Applying health and wellness principles to the industrial sector presents a unique opportunity to create a better built environment for a population that is typically more at-risk and exposed to unhealthy conditions,” according to Branch Pattern, one of Prologis’ partners in designing the WELL-certified facility.
As Thompson puts it, “Amenities are the next step in this workplace evolution in warehouses.”
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Paul Bubny
- ◦Development
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