Chewy.com will open its first Pennsylvania pharmacy in a Mericle building in CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park, Pittston Township, Luzerne County.
The company has leased a 155,000 square foot building from Mericle at 360 Research Drive.
The project was announced by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.
“Pennsylvania is known across the nation as one of the best places to do business, and Chewy’s continued expansion in the commonwealth is a testament to our business-friendly climate and access to major metropolitan areas,” said Gov. Wolf. “We are proud that Chewy selected NEPA for its first pharmacy location in Pennsylvania, and we look forward to seeing the project grow, creating hundreds of good-paying jobs and benefitting the local community.”
With an anticipated opening in late 2021, Chewy’s new pharmacy location will provide fulfillment of pet prescriptions, medications, and special dietary foods. The project is Chewy’s third expansion in the commonwealth within two years. The Pittstown Township facility will be the first pharmacy location in Pennsylvania while Chewy currently employs nearly 3,500 Pennsylvanians at its fulfilment centers in Wilkes-Barre, Archbald, Lewisberry, and Mechanicsburg.
The company received a funding proposal from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $450,000 Pennsylvania First grant. The total cost of this project will be $25 million, including the private match to be invested by Chewy at the project site. The proposal is based on the new operation creating 150 pharmacist and leadership support positions. The project will result in the creation of an additional 400 distribution jobs at the new location, bringing the overall site to 550 employees when fully operational.
The real estate transaction was coordinated by Mericle Vice president Bill Jones in conjunction with and Chewy Inc.’s real estate brokerage advisory firm. “It’s a neat project and our construction teams are very busy customizing the space to Chewy’s exact needs,” said Jones. “We are pleased our facility and platform of integrated project delivery met Chewy’s needs and we look forward to completing the building renovations in the near future.”
“We are proud to expand our presence in Pennsylvania with the opening of our first pharmacy facility in the state. This new site joins our four fulfillment centers already in the region which collectively employs nearly 3,500 Pennsylvanians,” said Pete Krillies, vice president of Real Estate, Facilities, Procurement of Chewy, Inc. “This expansion continues our significant regional investment with the creation of 550 additional new jobs and will also allow us to provide our customers with even faster delivery of the necessary prescriptions and health and wellness products for their pets.
CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park was developed by Mericle starting in 2006. Today, the park is home to 48 buildings in 11.5 million square feet. There are 67 tenants in the park which together employ approximately 7,500 people.