Big Lots sought to build its new, 1.3 million-square-foot distribution facility on what was once a World War II bombing range.

Haskell has had a longtime working relationship with Big Lots, a major closeout retail outlet. When they contracted us to work on building a new 1.3M SF warehouse and distribution facility to service the entire West Coast Region, the project marked our fourth venture with the company. From the outset, this project presented unique construction challenges. The selected site location in the desert of Apple Valley, CA., was part of a World War II practice bombing range.

Haskell helped our client overcome challenges and meet important fire- and earthquake-protection requirements.

Prior to the start of construction, a group of archaeologists, paleontologists, and cultural experts was brought in to sift through approximately 40 acres of land for potentially unexploded ordnance. Once that risk was mitigated, we were able to commence construction.

This enormous new facility was constructed using full-height, self-performed, tilt-up concrete panels with steel columns, joists, and girders. In order to overcome additional location-related challenges, the team chose to utilize roof decking made from oriented strand board (OSB) for its seismic advantages in the dry climate. Our team also designed the building to be reinforced in specific areas for support of the rooftop HVAC equipment.

To maximize clear height inside the building while maintaining a 45-foot max deck height for an Early Suppression, Fast Response (ESFR) fire protection system, the project incorporated siphonic roof drains, which greatly reduced all of the pipe sizes. We also installed a cantilevered, full-height, tilt-up, three-hour separation wall bisecting the building’s center to provide additional fire protection. Additional offsite upgrades for the project included roadway improvements and new electrical infrastructure for service to the building.

The completed warehouse and distribution center achieved LEED certification.

Throughout this project, our design teams sought ways to outfit the new facility with environmentally friendly features, such as an occupancy sensor-controlled LED lighting system that only turned on when someone was in the building. These additional green features helped the project achieve LEED v3.0 Certified status.

In total, Haskell has now constructed over 7M SF of distribution and warehouse space for Big Lots. We’ve enjoyed working as an extension of their team to help expand their business and meet their production objectives.