Cincinnati-based developer Merus turned fresh dirt into the latest sign of the region's warehouse boom on Wednesday, breaking ground on a 190,960-square-foot speculative industrial building at 4390 Hubner Way in Obetz, within sight of Rickenbacker International Airport. The project, branded as Dixon Commerce Center, is planned as rear-load Class A space aimed at distribution, manufacturing and logistics tenants, extending a run of industrial projects that keep reshaping the Rickenbacker corridor.
The project page describes a single 190,960-square-foot rear-load building with a 32-foot clear height and prominent frontage, with the property marketed as having strong access to regional and national transportation networks, according to Merus. The company lists the site as "Active" and pitches the building as flexible space for logistics and manufacturing users.
Coverage And Project Details
Columbus Business First first reported the Wednesday groundbreaking, naming 4390 Hubner Way as the site and identifying the developer as Cincinnati-based Merus, while placing the project among a flurry of recent sales, leases and new builds around Rickenbacker. Columbus Business First notes that the Dixon Commerce Center adds to a growing wave of industrial space arriving in the Rickenbacker area.
Why Developers Are Betting On Rickenbacker
Regional planners have long pointed to Rickenbacker's cargo-dedicated international airport, nearby rail intermodal facilities and highway connections as the engines behind rising interest in the area, according to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Rickenbacker Area Study. MORPC highlights those assets as central pieces of the region's long-term freight and land use strategy.
Local Roads And Logistics
The Village of Obetz has been advancing corridor improvements, including the Lockbourne Road roundabout along with related roadway work, in an effort to support freight reliability and improve access for workers and employers near Rickenbacker, according to the village's project page. The City of Obetz says the initiative is intended to prepare the corridor for continued growth.
For landlords and tenants, Dixon Commerce Center is expected to add a mid-sized, modern option in a supply-constrained industrial market near the airport, and the Merus property page currently lists the site as active without a specified completion date or announced tenants, according to Merus. Paired with ongoing infrastructure upgrades, the project underscores why developers continue to zero in on the Rickenbacker corridor for logistics and manufacturing investment.
