The Philadelphia Regional Produce Market Project - view installation pictures

Here's how the story begins...
The Philadelphia Regional Produce Market is a $218.5 million public-private project that is forecast to employ up to 1,500 people and ring up $1.6 billion in sales annually when it opens in Southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the fall 2010.

The new bulk produce market will be 686,000 square feet - nearly twice the size of its current facility - with 20 acres of vendor spaces, loading platforms and offices. It will be the first of its kind in the United States with a 100 percent fully refrigerated facility throughout the entire building. The facility will maintain the cold chain from truck transport to loading docks to cold storage at the distribution center. The building's construction is steel, concrete and five-inch thick insulated metal panels.

The new facility will feature 228 enclosed and fully refrigerated 50 foot wide dock areas, 40 foot ceiling heights, a skylight running the length of the quarter mile long building, a central walking concourse open to the public, and second floor office space. Thirty-two vendors will relocate into the new 68 units, and each vendor will have independent access and control of its own refrigeration. The Market's goal is to set the worldwide standard for best practices in the food distribution industry.

The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority owns the 48-acre site and will serve as the market's landlord for at least 40 years.

Next: It was "two years in the making" for the team for what has been called the "Gigantic Mall for Produce." Learn howthe job was put together and about the bidding process and the onsite management.