A major new industrial play is taking shape just south of the Ohio River, where VanTrust Real Estate is lining up a three-building speculative park totaling about 1.1 million square feet on roughly 86 acres near Independence, Kentucky, across from Cincinnati. The proposal, which surfaced May 13, 2026, would rank among the Cincinnati region’s largest warehouse developments announced in recent months.
According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, VanTrust is planning three speculative industrial buildings on the site. The coverage notes the roughly 86-acre footprint and reports that no tenants have been named and no public construction schedule has been released.
VanTrust Real Estate describes itself as a family-owned national developer with a growing industrial portfolio that includes both build-to-suit and speculative projects. Its website highlights large-format logistics facilities across Midwestern and Sun Belt markets, underscoring the company’s appetite for big-box warehouse space.
Site And Timeline
The Independence project is being marketed as speculative shell space, meaning the buildings would be constructed in advance so they are ready for tenants once leases are signed. The Cincinnati Business Courier report notes that no anchor tenants have been identified and that VanTrust has not publicly announced a construction start date.
Market Context
National industrial leasing picked up again in early 2026, and vacancy has started to edge down, a combination that has nudged more developers back into speculative construction. Research from Prologis points to record leasing activity and improving pricing power this year, conditions that typically support large new warehouse projects.
If it moves forward, the VanTrust park would inject a significant amount of modern warehouse capacity into the Cincinnati metro. Over time, as tenants commit to the space, the development could shape local traffic patterns and employment opportunities around Independence. Permitting milestones, infrastructure work and lease signings will ultimately determine how quickly the project can shift from proposal to active construction.
