A large distribution center is coming to Marana

It’s not yet known who will inhabit the space, said Jason Angell, Marana’s development services director.

Users of facilities with large footprints like that in the Tucson area include retailers Amazon, Walmart and Target.

The 65-acre site, on the northeast corner of the intersection, will have a 220,822-square-foot building, parking for 484 employee vehicles, and more than 1,200 spaces for delivery vans.

Because the zoning for such an operation is already in place at that site, the town’s council was not required to take action on the proposal, he said.

As long as developers meet the requirements set by Marana regarding heights and setbacks, the project is a go, Angell said.

The town has also forwarded comments from neighbors asking for additional landscaping, screening and noise buffers.

“We’ve been meeting with residents,” he said. “But it’s hard to please everyone.”

Known as the Silverbell Gateway Distribution Center, it would have a building height of 45 feet.

Angell said building permits should be submitted to the town in the next couple of months and expects construction to take 12 to 18 months to complete.

Two other large distribution centers are currently under construction near the Tucson International Airport — one a speculative building and one for Amazon.