Next to Costco, Rock Hill is getting an even bigger distribution site

A more than 290-acre Rock Hill site next to a planned Costco distribution facility is set to bring an even larger warehousing project.

The I-77 Commerce Center is a five-building plan near Oak Pond Road and Interconnect Drive, east of Porter Road and Interstate 77. Those buildings will add 1.4 million square feet of industrial space for yet unnamed companies.

I-77 Commerce Center will share a road access with the $240 million Costco distribution facility set to open next year. Costco, for comparison, will start at 541,000 square feet with later expansion to bring it to 898,000 square feet. The Costco property is 173 acres.

The commerce center also is beside an Old Dominion Freight Terminal that opened in December. The new project is up for review July 7 by the Rock Hill Planning Commission.

Buildings at the commerce center will range from 145,600 to 520,000 square feet. They’re speculative, meaning they’ll be built and then marketed to companies.

Several traffic upgrades will be needed for the new development.

A traffic signal will be added at the interstate and Porter Road. Porter and Interconnect Drive will get a roundabout, while several through or turn lanes will be added along Porter and Oak Pond roads.

Plans submitted by Indiana-based owner Strategic Capital Partners show nearly 1,000 parking spaces at I-77 Commerce Center. The area where it and Costco are going is a strategic growth region for the city along the interstate.

Part of the Costco plan is for an electric substation city officials believe will spur additional growth in the area.

Tuesday night’s review could approve what the city considers a major site plan, a late-stage step before construction typically starts.