The ownership of the 80-acre property at Green Lane and Airport Road in Levittown has changed hands quite a few times over the years. Originally, Kaiser Fleetwing manufactured war airplanes for WWII. Next, it served as a 3M facility for 50 years. Finally, in 2002, it was purchased by Herring Properties, which has been working ever since to make the space a go-to business hub.
On Oct. 31, the real estate development company announced that the Bristol Commerce Center (which it’s currently known as) has reached 100 percent occupancy – a milestone that marks a significant step in the town’s economic growth and development.
“The site presented us with an opportunity to transition an old 1950s factory and former runway into a multi-tenanted warehouse and distribution center. This site at one point had 800 factory jobs which left the state,” said Jamie Herring, principal of Herring Properties. “I’m proud that we’ve been able to create a series of buildings to attract new industries and bring back jobs. Today, Bristol Commerce Center is fully occupied, with over 1,000 onsite employees with the number expected to rise by several hundred employees as each of the industries scale into their space.”
Bristol Commerce Center features five lots and buildings totaling more than 1 million square feet. Herring Properties completely renovated the original 365,000-square-foot building into a multi-tenant building, which it fully leased out. Upon that occupancy, Herring focused on the excess land the property afforded, and constructed four brand new, state-of-the-art distribution buildings.
The first 250,000-square-foot space is home to the headquarters and distribution center for the Airgas Safety division of Airgas Corporation. The second building, anchored by Goodyear, is a 70,000-square-foot multi-tenant space. The third, which totals 80,000 square feet, is occupied by Hughes Enterprises. Other tenants in the complex include XPO Logistics, Pet Valu and Turtle and Hughes.
The newest tenant, leasing a 309,000-square-foot industrial facility, is Nuuly, an innovative clothing rental subscription service from Urban Outfitters. Since opening this summer, Nuuly has created 100 jobs and plans to bring in about 200 to 300 more in the future.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better location than the Bristol Commerce Center,” said David Ziel, chief development officer for Urban Outfitters. “With the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the New Jersey Turnpike, I-95 and Route 1 nearby, all of our transportation and logistics requirements were met while creating an easy commute for all our employees.”
The successful leasing of the center can be attributed, in part, to the Bucks County Commissioners, Bristol Township council and school board members, all of whom supported the Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone designation for the Bristol Commerce Center in 2012. The designation, used to revive economically challenged communities, means that tenants of the center do not have to pay real estate taxes on improvements, state sales tax and state corporate tax through 2022.
“Our main goal when developing properties is to attract high-quality business tenants who can have a long-term presence that deliver jobs and economic growth to towns,” said Herring. “We were confident that the KOEZ designation, combined with our strategic Bristol location for transport and logistics, would be very attractive to potential tenants. Reaching 100 percent occupancy confirms that notion.”
Craig Bowen, Bristol Township council president, said he’s thrilled to witness the next chapter of the site’s history.
“Bristol Commerce Center has breathed new life into the old 3M facility and ultimately, our town,” he said. “New jobs mean more people frequenting our restaurants, stores and main streets.” ••
Visit herringproperties.com for more information.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
