A project directed by Phoenix-based general contractor Stevens-Leinweber Construction (SLC) has expanded the Tolleson Rail Corridor with a new rail spur. The spur establishes direct railway access to a Georgia-Pacific (GP) Corrugated manufacturing facility, recently completed within Merit Partners’ Tolleson Corporate Park in Tolleson, Arizona.
The rail spur, and the GP Corrugated building, are part of a metro Phoenix High Impact District supporting a robust rail line presence required by many of the Valley’s most prominent manufacturing and distribution operations.
“Rail spur assignments are not as common as they used to be, now that so much of the Valley’s rail-accessible, infill land sites have been developed,” said Stevens-Leinweber Director of New Construction Erik Powell. “This project – and the Tolleson Rail Corridor – remind us of our railroad history and the vital role the rail lines still play in our industrial supply chain. We’ve enjoyed helping GP close this last loop at their Tolleson facility and maximize the full efficiency of their very modern operations.”
The new spur provides direct access from the Union Pacific rail line to a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility for GP Corrugated, one of the nation’s leading corrugated packaging manufacturers. As project lead, SLC directed extensive site mitigation along the spur line, including new underground retention, re-grading and precise material and soil compaction specifications required for the rail line installation.
“The expansion of Tolleson’s rail corridor helps local manufacturers capitalize on business opportunities, creating a positive ripple effect benefiting the entire region in the form of new jobs, more dynamic businesses and a more prosperous and diverse economy,” said City of Tolleson Mayor Juan F. Rodriguez.
During their interim operations, GP Corrugated utilized truck services for the inflow of manufacturing materials. The new spur allows the company to bring its oversized paper manufacturing materials in via rail, then transition the products to its manufacturing facility through a custom 20’ by 20’ high-speed dock door incorporated by SLC during GP’s tenant improvement build-out.
GP Corrugated joins more than 126 companies operating along the Tolleson Rail Corridor, representing almost 11,000 local jobs. In addition to rail access, the Corridor provides quick access to the I-10, Loop 101 and new Loop 202 extension. The Goodyear Airport is within a 14-minute drive.
GP Corrugated is situated within a larger, 250,000 square-foot building also occupied by MiTek, a global supplier of services and products to the construction sector. SLC was the ground-up general contractor for the shell building and was the tenant improvement contractor for the GP Corrugated and MiTek build-outs. MiTek also occupies an adjacent, 259,200-square-foot building within the same corporate park.
