Home Depot helps ease city's financial burden

Date: 11/3/2009

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor



WESTFIELD -- The city's financial burden has been lifted slightly, to the tune of $350,000 per year, thanks to Home Depot U.S.A. Inc.

The company broke ground on its new northeast rapid distribution center in Campanelli Business Park's 71.6-acre site last week. Mayor Michael Boulanger noted the new facility will bring significant tax revenue to the city via a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement -- which will double to approximately $700,000 per year in 10 years -- as well as 170 jobs.

"For Home Depot to choose Westfield for their distribution facility meant going head-to-head with other states and other sites at every possible level: cost, speed, site layout, location and tax incentives," Robert DeMarco, partner at Campanelli Companies, said.

"Campanelli's ability to provide a fully detailed proposal -- including thorough design and cost estimation -- ensured that we could accurately represent the cost and speed at which the building could be constructed in the Campanelli Business Park of Westfield," he continued.

Jen King, spokesperson for Home Depot, told Reminder Publications the new facility -- one mile north of the current site -- will "improve efficiency" with "state of the art" equipment and distribution capability in the region.

She noted this facility is one of 20 Home Depot is constructing nationwide and one of three rapid distribution facilities serving the northeast.

"It was clear from our first meetings that Campanelli's professional approach to business development would result in a success story for Westfield," Boulanger said. "It is this sort of industrial development that we are very strongly promoting and what the city of Westfield so desperately needs in terms of jobs and economic growth and stability."

Boulanger explained he and city officials will be working to mitigate concerns over increased truck traffic on Southampton Road.

He added the new facility is projected to open next summer.