The Sacramento Business Journal hosted its annual Best Real Estate Projects Awards on September 5, 2024, at The Officer’s Club at Lions Gate Hotel. Among the honorees was the Kubota Western Distribution Center (WDC), recognized in the New Industrial category. This project stood alongside other significant developments from 2023-2024 that are driving growth and innovation in the region. Below is the profile published in Best Real Estate Projects of the Year, a feature by The Business Journal, celebrating the most impactful and noteworthy new developments in the Sacramento area.

With its large size and high-visibility location, the Kubota Western Distribution Center in Elk Grove needed to be attractive as well as functional.

The 631,465-square-foot facility at 10355 Waterman Road, built for Texas-based Kubota Tractor Corp., is Elk Grove’s largest single-story building. It serves dealers across 11 Western states, with space for regional management offices, parts, service and assembly. It also houses “Kubota University,” a repair training program for the company, which sells tractors and other equipment.

Kubota bought the 45-acre undeveloped site off of Grant Line Road from the city of Elk Grove. The center was built using tilt- up concrete construction, which is known for its durability and economy, according to project architect Jeff Leonhardt, managing principal of RMW architecture + interiors’ Sacramento office.

The construction method’s practicality doesn’t mean you can’t add some “architectural pizzazz” to a tilt-up building, Leonhardt said.

The architect said he focused in particular on the prominent southwest corner of the building. A walkway from the parking lot to the entrance is accented with orange metal frames, which create shadows to add visual interest.

Double-height glass and architectural metal also help anchor the corner and bring balance to the large structure, he said.

“It’s good to soften and mitigate the enormity of the building,” Leonhardt said.

Rainy winters created challenges for the project, including the need for lime treatment to dry the soil. The project also faced procurement challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The large site gives the distribution center room to expand. Future phases could bring the size of the facility up to 1 million square feet.

Source: SACRAMENTO BUSINESS JOURNAL
September 6-12, 2024, Vol. 41, No. 30
By Elaine Goodman – Contributor

Details:
Distribution Center for Kubota Tractor Corporation
Cost:
$72 million
Completed:
December 2023
Developer:
Kamilos Companies, LLC
Contractor:
Alston Construction Co.
Architect:
RMW architecture + interiors