Staff Report
A 3.33-acre site along William F. McClellan Highway could soon be home to a state-of-the-art, 152,500-square-foot distribution center, according to new plans filed by Horizon/McClellan LLC. The proposed project will demolish an existing 21,144-square-foot, one-story warehouse and a surface parking lot to construct a modern, two-story Central Receiving and Distribution Center.
Located between Chelsea Creek and the CubeSmart Storage facility, the new 152,500-square-foot facility will be utilized primarily by Marketplace Development, which manages terminal concessions at Boston Logan International Airport. The building will be used to screen items before they are sent to the airport, replacing an older facility located less than a mile away at 290 McClellan Highway.
Key features of the proposed development include:
• A two-story building reaching approximately 55 feet in height.
• Anticipated uses including warehousing, receiving and distribution, and accessory offices.
• Off-street surface parking for approximately 10 vehicles.
• A total of 24 loading docks, eight of which will feature dedicated truck chargers to support fully electric transfers to the airport.
The project will also construct a limited-access extension of the Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road to connect directly to the site. According to the development team, the facility is designed to be a leader in sustainability. It targets LEED Platinum certification, which would make it the first industrial building in New England to achieve this standard. By transitioning from diesel to an all-electric truck fleet for airport transfers, the project is estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 68 tons per year.
Construction is projected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and last approximately 18 months. Typical construction hours will be from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. No substantial sound-generating activity will occur before 7:00 a.m.
This filing is part of the Article 80B Large Project Review process. The public comment period for the 160 McClellan Highway project is open until Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Comments can be directed to Daniel Polanco at [email protected].