Henry weighs rezoning for massive warehouses

A Chicago company wants to rezone a 181-acre tract south of McDonough in Henry County that would allow for construction of two massive warehouse distribution centers.

The company, Alter Group, would not build until it has a customer who needs the space, Henry County officials said.

The property, just east of I-75, has become a distribution center hotbed. Whirlpool is building a warehouse facility nearby, said Bob White, executive director of the Henry County development authority.

Henry’s location is attractive, White said, because the county is close to the port of Savannah and provides easy access to Florida and other large markets in the Southeast.

In the rezoning application, Alter is seeking permission to build two buildings, each up to 1.5 million square feet. The project must be approved by Henry’s zoning review board and county commission. It’s also large enough to require a review by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Ray Gibson, director of Henry’s planning and zoning department, said the county welcomes the new development but is also seeking to diversity its economy so it’s not so concentrated in the distribution center market.

“Once you put all your eggs in one basket, that becomes a problem economically,” he said.