Target logistics centre to make Cornwall major Eastern Canadian logistics hub
With the announcement that American retail giant Target is building a massive distribution centre in Cornwall, the Eastern Ontario city has taken a big step toward becoming a major Eastern Canadian logistics hub.
Target is building a 1.3-million square-foot distribution centre on 169 acres in the Cornwall Business Park. It is expected to begin operating by 2013—in time to service the first Target stores as they open across Canada.
Bob Peters, Cornwall’s senior economic development officer, says the “close-knit” nature of the logistics sector suggests other big corporations are thinking about setting up Eastern Canadian distribution centres in Cornwall.
“When companies such as Walmart, Target, and Shoppers Drug Mart make an investment in one particular area, other companies pay attention,” Peters says.
Walmart has a 1.5-million square-foot facility in Cornwall and Shoppers has one that’s 600,000 square feet.
Target has provided few details about its facility, but at 1.3 million square feet, it will be almost as large as the Walmart centre, which is so big that three Rogers Centre stadiums could fit inside it, says Peters.
The Target distribution centre will be operated by a third-party logistics provider, Peters says. The expansion of Cornwall’s logistics sector could provide spin-off benefits to the larger Eastern Ontario region because companies, such as manufacturers, that use the distribution centres may want to be closer to their logistics providers, Peters says.
Cornwall is an ideal location for logistics companies because the fully serviced Cornwall Business Park has direct access to rail, water, and national roadways. The park is situated next to Highway 401, is in on a Canadian National Railway line and is beside the St. Lawrence Seaway. At more than 1,600 acres, the Cornwall Business Park is selling land at $20,000 per acre, making it one of the most affordable business parks in Ontario.
