It's not a new skyscraper changing Atlanta's skyline.
But with several projects — big and small — breaking ground in metro Atlanta in the past year, Home Depot has been building more here than in other states, and moving its focus from new store openings to distribution.
The Atlanta company used to open a new store every 48 hours, but that pace came to a stop as the economy slowed. Now, Home Depot is instead spending money on buildings such as a 1.1 million square-foot warehouse in McDonough that will be used as a direct fulfillment center for customers who are increasingly buying online.
That project will cost $50 million. All told, Home Depot is spending $90 million on construction in metro Atlanta, including a $24 million customer care center in Kennesaw. The company spent $4.2 million to retrofit some office space near Cumberland Mall for its online business.
"As the online business continues to grow, we're doing everything we can to support them," said Michael LaFerle, Home Depot's vice president of real estate and construction. "We've been pretty busy the last 10 months supporting them."
A center for returned goods and a daycare center at the company headquarters round out Home Depot's local projects. The projects have created 1,100 construction jobs and 1,400 permanent jobs at Home Depot, LaFerle said.
Much of the industrial construction in metro Atlanta is related to online shopping, said Chris Tomasulo, senior vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle. In addition to Home Depot, Carter's and Bed Bath and Beyond are building large distribution centers related to e-commerce.
"A lot of folks are continuing to sit at their computers and order stuff, and I don't see that need going away," Tomasulo said of the requirement for large warehouse spaces. "I anticipate us seeing more."
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