Many companies are attracted to business parks when it comes to relocating their offices, light manufacturing businesses or retail spaces. Not all these ready-made sites are flexible enough to accommodate their business needs, however. Some existing business parks require tenants to conform to a rigid existing plan, and those plans are often crafted specifically for other types of businesses. “Take it or leave it” is a reality that many companies face when searching for operations locations.
Ideally, businesses want parks that will conform to their unique needs. In Hazlewood, Missouri, in the Greater St. Louis region, there’s a park that’s ready and able to flex to the needs of its tenants in a wide variety of light industrial or office-based operations.
Hazelwood Business Park, which is owned and operated by Industrial Commercial Properties LLC (ICP), is a 1.3 million- square-foot facility currently available for light manufacturing, offices, logistics, call center operations and more with a variety of complementary opportunities for retail and restaurants. Hazelwood, located 10 minutes north of the St. Louis-Lambert International Airport, offers immediate access to Interstates 270 and 170. The location is situated less than a 30-minute drive from downtown St. Louis, and ideal from the perspective of access to markets and workforce labor pools.
The facility began its life as a shopping mall but was acquired by ICP two years ago. (In fact, it’s the seventh such mall acquired and revamped by ICP.) Since the acquisition, the property has been vigorously updated and rebuilt to welcome new and relocating business tenants.
From an access-to-markets standpoint, the facility is in an ideal location. At the time of the mall construction, a complete overhaul of the nearby highway interchange was undertaken, giving the site ideal access to interstates.
A New Facility That Benefits from Ideal Resources
Since the mall that formerly sat on the site had substantial electrical requirements, the facility has been able to harness those existing energy resources and provide tenants with 480V three-phase power, resulting in 17 megawatts in total. The facility offers 40- by 40-foot column spacing and 22- to 40-foot ceiling clearance, making it ideal for industrial applications.
The property has ample telecom resources, as well, with established fiber networks on site, making it an ideal choice for telecom-heavy businesses such as contact centers. The park also offers ample water, sewer and gas resources to accommodate manufacturing and office needs. The site is in an area of low risks from climate-related events.
A Transformation for a Turnkey Solution for Tenants
Existing tenants of Hazelwood Business Park have benefitted from ICP’s willingness to customize and build out spaces based on tenants’ needs, providing a turnkey solution for lessees. Once the work is complete, businesses need only move in their computers, furniture and industrial equipment. Hazelwood Business Park will provide the power options and install the necessary loading docks or drive-in doors. The result is a new facility designed to precisely meet a company’s business requirements.
Space for Future Development of An Entire Business Ecosystem
When Hazelwood Business Park is fully occupied, ICP anticipates that there will be between 12 and 20 tenants. The growth, however, will not stop there. The property retains extra land in the surrounding area for new construction on either side of the highway. These developments could include restaurants and retail operations, as well as other businesses that will support the thousands of jobs that will be directly created by the park.
Boeing maintains a strong presence in the Greater St. Louis region. Thanks to its 2024 acquisition of a GKN Aerospace parts facility, the aerospace giant now maintains two facilities in Hazelwood, as well as others in nearby towns. Boeing is Missouri’s largest manufacturer and sixth largest employer and focuses its operations in the St. Louis region on the design, production and support of military aircraft, weapons and satellite systems. The company’s presence creates opportunities for business synergies with manufacturers.
“One of our goals is to attract aerospace subcontractors to the site, where they would be ideally situated to supply the main aerospace operations,” said Christopher Semarjian, owner of ICP. “We envision a network of organizations in Hazelwood Park that will support the region’s existing companies.”
A Strong Labor Pool to Fill Workforce Needs
Thanks to its large suburban location and the presence of high technology and aerospace companies as well as a robust distribution market, the Hazelwood area has a strong workforce already in place. Companies located in Hazelwood are able to attract workers from the growing Greater St. Louis region. The average commute time is an admirable 21 minutes in the St. Louis area. In addition, Hazelwood is a short drive for workers living over the state line in Illinois. The region has a favorable cost of living profile, making it attractive to potential workers.
“With the population growing, more people come to St. Louis County than ever before,” said David A. Leezer, CEcD FM, Interim City Manager for the City of Hazelwood. “It’s easily accessible for industries and vendors as well as the workforce.”
Missouri State Incentives Make Relocation Even More Attractive
The State of Missouri offers a variety of benefits to companies that locate in the state, including workforce training programs through the region’s network of community colleges as well as tax incentives for business operations.
The Missouri Works Program, which incentivizes job creation with a tax credit and a tax retention benefit, is ready and willing to partner with Hazelwood Business Park tenants to relocate their companies. This program can help businesses purchase equipment to maintain their facility in Missouri.
Workforce recruitment assistance is available through Missouri One Start, the state’s workforce recruitment and training division. One Start helps businesses stay competitive by providing customized recruitment assistance and offering resources to train and upskill new and existing employees. The program’s recruitment strategies and training programs can be tailored to the specific workforce needs of a businesses.
Another unique incentive available to companies locating at the Hazelwood Business Park is a program called the Hazelwood Relocation Assistance Program, or HRAP. The program, which is administered by Missouri One Start through the Missouri Department of Economic Development, assists companies in relocating from other states. Companies should apply for Missouri One Start Training Program assistance and specifically request relocation assistance benefits. With a significant portion of the Greater St. Louis workforce residing in Illinois, the program seeks to attract residents of Illinois or other states to resettle in Missouri. Companies whose employees resettle in Missouri can earn up to $3,500 per employee, and the City of Hazelwood will match that award. In addition, if the resettled employee purchases a home in Missouri, that worker receives a matching sum.
Hazelwood Business Park: An Unmatchable Value Proposition
Thanks to a dynamic mix of location and facilities, access to markets, a favorable tax structure and a ready workforce, Hazelwood Business Park offers a highly compelling value proposition to companies.
“The difference between this project and other industrial projects is that it’s tailored for more than just e-commerce or logistics,” said Semarjian. “We simply work better for a wider variety of industries. We are much more flexible than most of the warehousing or industrial projects built in the last 10 years, and we have a very advantageous cost model. Because of the region’s good tax structure and a variety of other benefits, we can pass value and savings on to our tenants.”
For more information about Hazelwood Business Park, contact Deirdre McGuane at dmcguane@icpllc.com. T&ID
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