Ware Malcomb completes construction on FreezPak cold storage facility in Elizabeth

An industry leader in cold building projects, Ware Malcomb on Tuesday said it completed the construction on Carteret-based FreezPak’s newest third-party logistics cold storage public refrigerated warehouse in Elizabeth — FreezPak’s fifth New Jersey location.

Ware Malcomb provided architectural and interior design services for the project, which recently won NAIOP New Jersey’s prestigious “Deal of the Year” award for industrial projects. Industrial Building Group was the general contractor and Elberon Development was the developer for the project.

Located at 1029 Newark Ave., the 140,000-square-foot building includes an ammonia-CO2 cascade central plant refrigeration system and 18 docks that allow for 30,000 pallet positions. The facility includes a 66-foot-high clear freezer and is equipped with an Automated Search and Retrieval System and a Very Narrow Aisle racking system, as well as an 80-foot-high clear span cold dock.

In lieu of traditional battery charging, the material handling equipment is supplied with a hydrogen fueling system. To prevent idling while running refrigerated trucks, all dock positions and trailer parking stalls have plug-ins, and trailer parking is available both on site and across the street. The project was designed as solar ready, with solar installation planned for post-construction.

“With this new facility, the warehouse industry expands outside of the port area, and we had the opportunity to revitalize a strategically located industrial site,” said Edward Mayer II, principal, architecture, for Ware Malcomb. “We were proud to partner with FreezPak, Elberon Development, Industrial Building Group and the whole team to bring this project to fruition.”

The site is located between two jurisdictions — Newark and Elizabeth — and required close coordination between both municipalities. This facility is expected to create new jobs and opportunities for local residents, help meet distribution demand, and attract other industries and development.

Ware Malcomb is currently providing architectural design services on multiple FreezPak projects, including another New Jersey location in Woodbridge and a Miami facility.