Sioux City, Cold-Link Logistics Team on Rail-Served Facility

The first phase of Cold-Link Logistics’ rail-served cold-storage facility in Sioux City, Iowa, is expected to open in 2023. (Rendering Courtesy of Cold-Link Logistics)

Sioux City, Iowa, is building a rail spur from the city-owned lead track north to serve Cold-Link Logistics’ storage facility, which is slated to open in early 2023.

The Sioux City Council awarded a $1.2 million contract to Peterson Contractors, Inc., for construction of the Southbridge Business Park Cold-Link Rail Spur Project, the Sioux City Journal reported on Aug. 22. Also to be constructed is an extension of Alicia Avenue along the eastern side of new cold storage facility.

The rail spur project, to be completed by the end of December, will be covered by an Iowa Department of Transportation Commission-approved Rail Revolving Loan and Grant Program award (up to 50%) with the city’s portion to be paid through government obligation bonds, according to the Sioux City Journal. “A lease agreement committing Cold-Link Logistics to fund all future maintenance and operational costs of the rail spur will be brought to the council for consideration at a later date,” the newspaper reported.

Cold-Link Logistics in March began work on the first phase of its cold storage facility, which includes some 190,000 square feet of warehousing space plus truck docks, offices, and mechanical areas on a nearly 40-acre parcel in the Southbridge Business Park. Tippmann Construction is the designer-builder. Located off I-29 and near numerous production facilities in western Iowa, the building will be -20° F – 38° F capable; consist of four, 60-foot clear, temperature-controlled rooms; and have 20,000 pallet positions and 504 QFR blast-freezing positions, according to Cold-Link Logistics, a Miami, Fla.-based third-party logistics company with facilities in Auburndale and Orlando, Fla.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Holland, Mich.; and Providence, R.I. Union Pacific will serve the facility.