Pioneering the Future of Cold Storage with Dallas I – The First Speculative, Multi-Tenant, Flexible-Temperature Facility

Client Overview

Recognizing a critical gap in the cold chain real estate market, Cold Summit set out to redefine how cold storage facilities are developed and delivered. Most cold storage projects had traditionally been single-tenant, build-to-suit, and limited to fixed-temperature configurations, leaving users with little flexibility or speed to market. Cold Summit identified a market opportunity to introduce a speculative cold storage facility that could serve multiple tenants, offer flexible temperature zones, and be positioned in a major logistics hub. This vision led to the development of Cold Summit Dallas I, the industry’s first speculative, multi-tenant, flexible-temperature cold storage facility.

Challenges

Introducing a speculative cold storage facility brought several first-of-its-kind challenges.

• The cold storage market lacked comparable development models, making it difficult to benchmark demand or pricing for a multi-tenant, pre-built facility.

• The facility needed to be versatile enough to accommodate different cold chain users, each with unique temperature, racking, and logistics requirements.

• Financing a speculative cold storage project in a traditionally conservative asset class required a compelling investment thesis and stakeholder confidence.

• Location was critical; the project needed to be in a high-demand logistics corridor with infrastructure capable of supporting cold chain operations and quick tenant onboarding.

Cold Summit’s Solution

Cold Summit leveraged its core capabilities in cold storage development, market analytics, facility design, and financing to deliver an innovative solution to a previously unmet market need.

Strategic Market Selection & Site Acquisition

Cold Summit selected the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, one of the nation’s top logistics and food distribution hubs, as the location for the first facility. The site offered exceptional access to interstates, labor, and consumer markets, making it ideal for a wide range of cold chain users. Cold Summit secured a site with the right utility access, entitlement potential, and transportation infrastructure to support the vision.

Flexible, Multi-Tenant Cold Storage Design

The Dallas I facility was designed with multiple entry points, segregated cold zones, and independent loading infrastructure, allowing for simultaneous operation by multiple users. The facility included scalable temperature zones ranging from -20°F to 55°F, making it suitable for frozen, refrigerated, and chilled applications. Modular construction techniques allowed Cold Summit to deliver a facility that could adapt to seasonal demand and tenant mix over time.

Speculative Construction & Investor Confidence

Cold Summit secured financing and moved forward with construction without a signed anchor tenant, a bold move in the traditionally bespoke world of cold storage. To support this approach, Cold Summit presented a robust market analysis, highlighting demand growth, supply constraints, and the need for faster speed to occupancy. The facility was constructed to Class A cold storage standards, with energy efficiency, food safety, and operational flexibility as core design principles.

Results & Impact

The successful launch of Dallas I marked a turning point in cold storage development.

• Cold Summit became the first developer to deliver a speculative, multi-tenant, flexible-temperature cold storage facility in the U.S.

• The project was rapidly leased, validating the demand for ready-to-occupy, versatile cold chain real estate in major logistics markets.

• The Dallas I model introduced a new standard for speed-to-market, eliminating long construction lead times associated with build-to-suit facilities.

• The flexible-temperature zones allowed tenants to quickly adapt to changing product needs, improving operational resilience and cost efficiency.

Conclusion

Cold Summit’s Dallas I project set a new precedent in cold storage development, demonstrating that speculative, multi-tenant, flexible-temperature facilities could not only succeed but thrive in the right market conditions. By challenging industry norms and anticipating future demand, Cold Summit created a development model that now serves as the blueprint for modern cold chain real estate. This innovation has reshaped expectations around accessibility, adaptability, and efficiency in cold storage, positioning Cold Summit as a leader in cold chain infrastructure.