FedEx plans to build a new, 276,431-square-foot distribution center in Maple Grove that could employ more than 300 people.
 
FedEx Ground spokeswoman Erin Truxal told Twin Cities Business via e-mail on Tuesday that the new facility will serve FedEx SmartPost—a FedEx subsidiary that serves as a residential shipping service for online and catalog retailers. The service, one of FedEx’s fastest growing, uses the U.S. Postal Service for final delivery to homes.
 
Truxal said that FedEx’s Brooklyn Park office will relocate to the new location—near Interstate 694 and Highway 81—when it is completed in summer 2014. All roughly 300 of the people who work at the Brooklyn Park office will transfer to the Maple Grove space, and “we will be hiring” additional workers as well, Truxal said, adding that the new facility will allow FedEx to “continue to meet and exceed customer demands in the region.” The company doesn’t yet know when or how many it will hire.
 
The 42-acre site on which FedEx wants to build is undeveloped and currently owned by Bremer Bank. Bremer has agreed to lease the property to FedEx if the City of Maple Grove approves its plans.
 
City Community Development Director Dick Edwards said the Planning Commission will discuss the FedEx project at its February 25 meeting. The Commission will then make a recommendation to the City Council, which will vote March 4 on whether to grant approval.
 
City documents show that Indianapolis-based developer Scannell Properties submitted plans for the FedEx building last month. It calls for 332 parking spaces, although Edwards said the company has indicated it will need only 280.
 
Edwards said he sees no reason why the FedEx plan won’t receive city approval, adding that it’s “refreshing” to see growth in Maple Grove—a city of about 63,000.
 
The FedEx site sits on the east edge of what the city refers to as its gravel mining area.
 
“The site was chosen because of its ease of access to major highways, its proximity to customers’ distribution centers, and a strong local community workforce for recruiting employees,” Truxal said.