ARCO Beverage Group Delivers State-of-the-Art Beverage Distributorship in Southwest Florida for Suncoast Beverage Sales

ARCO Beverage Group recently completed a new, 373,528 SF beverage distributorship for Suncoast Beverage Sales, a leading beer and beverage distributor serving restaurants, bars, and retailers across Southwest Florida. Strategically located at 4480 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida, the facility was designed to support long-term growth and meet increasing demand across the region.

The new facility includes a 235,450 SF warehouse with a distribution capacity of 15 million cases, automation systems, a 26,200 SF draught cooler, a 19,561 SF maintenance building, and more. Despite the challenges presented by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, ARCO successfully mitigated delays and potential losses through proactive planning, clear communication, and thorough on-site preparation.

The project also includes Suncoast’s new headquarters, housed in a two-story, 58,270 SF office space featuring a 10,560 SF hospitality suite.

This facility represents a major investment in the local community, creating new employment opportunities across various sectors and reinforcing Suncoast’s commitment to growth and excellent service in the region.

Suncoast was selected by the City of Fort Myers for the site’s redevelopment based on their commitment to environmental remediation, eliminating cleanup costs as a burden to taxpayers. ARCO was brought on as a design-build partner due to their expertise and experience in site redevelopment.

From the project’s inception, ARCO led the coordination and execution of critical decontamination efforts, addressing onsite soils with arsenic levels exceeding commercial and industrial thresholds. Their proactive approach transformed the compromised site into a build-ready property for Suncoast’s state-of-the-art facility.

ARCO provided wholistic site solutions that addressed existing conditions and planned for future expansion. This included:

• Planning for future PFOS/PFOA remediation in alignment with current site layout and future expansion.
• Relocating public water lines and fiber optic infrastructure.
• Upgrading the adjacent highway and installing a new traffic signal.

These enhancements not only supported the project’s success but also created momentum for the revitalization of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor.

Before breaking ground, ARCO performed a detailed site analysis by engaging a geotechnical contractor. When unsuitable rock was discovered in deep-cut areas, ARCO conducted additional testing and developed a cost-effective strategy. By over-excavating and burying unsuitable material, the team achieved substantial cost savings and preserved flexibility for future development.

Despite facing significant weather challenges, including Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene during critical construction phases, ARCO’s proactive planning, onsite preparation, and strong communication mitigated losses.

ARCO also executed a phased construction strategy, enabling early turnover of portions of the main building for testing Suncoast’s advanced automation systems. The team worked closely with local municipalities and Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABC) to overcome supply chain and permitting challenges and ensure Suncoast could begin operations prior to the completion of long lead time items such as final FDOT signal upgrades and permanent generator installation.

ARCO Beverage Group is the nation’s largest builder of beverage distributorships, having constructed or made modifications to 170 beverage distribution facilities nationwide. As the beer industry experts, ARCO understands the space utilization, product storage, rotation, temperature control requirements and many other factors that beverage facilities may require. From expertly designed draught coolers and refrigerated warehouses to attractive and efficient office spaces, ARCO’s design-build process provides clients with the highest quality construction and the best value.