FedEx ships new distribution center to LIC

As Fresh Direct grabs headlines for ditching Long Island City, FedEx Ground has forged plans to build a new $56 million on the grocer’s current block for a new distribution center. According to the New York Daily News, FedEx will close its Maspeth distribution facility next year to move into a 140,000-square-foot Center On Borden Avenue.

The company said it coveted the area for its easy access to the Long Island Expressway and the Midtown Tunnel, its proximity to customer distribution centers and the area’s sizable workforce. The company has been looking to expand distribution and speed delivery times in the wake of the U.S. Postal Service’s cuts.

The project is being developed by North Carolina-based SunCap Property Group on land it owns in partnership with Lexington Realty Trust, according to the Post. FedEx initially sought a facility in Astoria but faced staunch community opposition. Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said the Borden Avenue location would be a better one, considering the area’s manufacturing hub. “Hopefully, it will also boost local businesses affected by the departure of Fresh Direct,” she said. [NYDN]