The Cubes at French Lake

The Cubes at French Lake is CRG’s first super-bulk inventory distribution facility in Minnesota, and the state’s largest speculative industrial project ever developed. The 1,006,880-square-foot development is located on 65 acres near the intersection of County Road 81 and Dayton Parkway at 11500 Lawndale Lane in Dayton, Minn. The site is approximately 35 miles from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and 20 miles from downtown Minneapolis’ strong labor pool. The Cubes at French Lake is expected to open in 2023. It will offer immediate access to U.S. Interstate 94 via the new Dayton Parkway interchange, completed in fall 2021.

Upon completion in 2023, the one-million-square-foot cross-dock warehouse will offer the same industry-leading features that have become the hallmark of CRG’s The Cubes brand, developed for next-generation industrial users. Specifications include 40-foot clear heights, ESFR sprinkler systems, high-efficiency LED lighting, 652 parking spaces, a 185-foot concrete truck court, 231 trailer parking spaces, 169 9-foot-by-10-foot grade-level dock doors, four 14-foot-by-16-foot drive-in dock doors, 60-foot speed bays and more.

According to Cushman and Wakefield’s 1Q22 industrial report, the Minneapolis-St. Paul market’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.8% in first-quarter 2022 – a quarter-over-quarter decrease of 50 basis points – while the state figure dropped to its lowest since 1999 in February. Meanwhile, the metro’s labor force participation rate increased to 67.9% – approximately 5.5% above the national average in the first-quarter of 2022. The market continues to see a decline in available industrial space, with the vacancy rate dropping to 3.5% in 1Q22, representing a decrease of 70 basis points year-over-year.

The Cubes at French Lake was designed by CRG integrated partner Lamar Johnson Collaborative, while its parent company, Clayco, is serving as the general contractor. Lee & Associate Principal Chris Garcia, SIOR, is leading the leasing efforts for the new building.

Project Documents:
The Cubes at French Lake Site Plan

View the below construction progress from October 2023: