New construction may cool in 2026 but plenty of opportunities remain for innovation and modernization in cold storage and logistics.

Vacancies climbed to a 20-year high this fall, according to Newmark’s 2025 Cold Storage Overview. An analysis by MetLife expects vacancies to peak in this year, with the greatest supply pressures in markets including Dallas, Chicago and Jacksonville.

About 75% of cold storage infrastructure in the U.S. is at least 25 years old, with over a quarter of facilities dating to the 1960s, according to commercial real estate research group, CoStar. Just 10% current inventory was built in the last five years.

While new construction is projected to be slower compared to the frenzied pace of a few years ago, the long-term outlook is positive, as demand for e-commerce and last-mile delivery continues to post double digit increases YOY. Retrofitting existing facilities and adding technology to meet specialized operational requirements will continue to play a role in temperature-controlled logistics, as will increasing regulatory and economic pressure.

Sustainability in the design, building and operation of cold facilities will be paramount.

“More operators will invest in greener refrigeration,” said Will J. Roberson Jr., president and COO at Taylor Logistics Inc./Maine International Cold Storage Facility (MICSF).

Opened in February and built by FCL Builders, the 106,000-square-foot MICSF is adjacent to the International Marine Terminal (IMT) in Portland, Maine, offering direct intermodal access. The warehouse expanded reefer plug capacity at IMT, supporting the region’s role in global trade and was a finalist for R&FF’s 2025 Cold Storage Facility of the Year.

With a design temperature of -10 degrees Fahrenheit, 22,000 pallet positions and a CO₂ refrigeration system, the facility incorporates very narrow aisle (VNA) design with wire-guided turret trucks.

To further enhance storage density, MICSF uses a high-efficiency pallet runner system capable of storing up to 22 bays deep. This semi-automated system streamlines deep-lane storage and enables fast, accurate and safe movement of pallets, with the entire warehouse operated by a team of eight employees.

“When product comes into the building, our mindset is simple, we care for this inventory like it is our own. On top of that, the building itself gives those partnerships room to grow. The advanced CO₂ refrigeration system and the largest rooftop solar array in Maine support efficient, responsible operations, but the real differentiator is how we plan, communicate and solve problems side by side with our customers,” Roberson said. “Customers are not just looking for a warehouse. They want a strategic partner who will sit at the table with them, help rethink their network and test new ideas, so the cold chain supports both cost control and long-term growth.”

Another finalist for the Cold Storage Facility of the Year, Lineage’s Hazleton, Pennsylvania site, was part of a $247 million deal announced last spring with Tyson Foods. Under the agreement, Lineage assumed operations of four existing warehouses and plans to design, build and operate two fully automated sites with Tyson as an anchor customer. Under the same agreement, Tyson began storing products at the Hazelton location.

Built in 2024, the 386,000-square-foot site includes 85,000 pallet positions and offers automated layer picking which enables additional operational efficiencies for large SKU offerings. With automated full pallet, layer and case pick capabilities, the Hazelton facility includes 17 including cranes, rail guided vehicles and inbound lanes using proprietary computer vision technology.

Alongside sustainability, Roberson said he expects “more interest in free trade zones and bonded cold storage as brands work to simplify global flows and manage total landed cost. That is especially true for products that move frequently between regions or across borders.”

Lineage this fall announced it was expanding import/export services in light of confusion surrounding tariffs and increasing trade pressure.

Americold announced its Dublin facility has been certified by Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to export to the U.S., making it the only dedicated third-party cold storage provider in Ireland with this capability.

Other cold storage facilities opened in 2025 include:

• Lineage again expanded its Hobart, Indiana warehouse, its largest in North America.
• CORE X Partners opened new cold storage in Crown Point, Indiana.
• DHL Supply Chain announced a 603,000 square foot site and FreezPak added another 50,000 pallet positions, both in Jacksonville, Florida.
• Kansas City’s SubTropolis will be home to more regional cold chain logistics.
• Arcadia Cold and Harbor Logistics each cut ribbons on new cold storage near the port in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Karis Cold opened an eye-catching site in Chicago, featuring a massive mural and its speculative Charlotte, North Carolina facility was chosen as the new HQ and distribution center for Hissho Sushi.

Following the summer opening of a $100+ million import-export hub in Kansas City, Missouri, Americold in 2026 plans to open its first import-export hub to be built in Canada.The new cold storage facility, to become the sixth operated by Americold in Canada, will leverage the maritime logistics capabilities of DP World and the rail logistics solutions of Canadian Pacific Kansas City.

Lineage also is expanding in Canada, with additions to three facilities. Those expansions, coupled with acquisitions last year, will expand the REIT’s Canadian footprint to over 13 million cubic feet by mid-2026.

And in Indiana, a 322,600-square-foot cold storage facility BTS for Arcada Cold is expected to open in Q1 . It features 50-foot clear height, an 80-foot-deep dock and was built to earn LEED certification.

Other notable projects include:

• ARCO is upgrading and expanding two warehouses in the PNW for Performance Food Group and one in California for LA Lucky.
• The second phase of Interstate Warehousing’s Arizona cold storage facility is expected to open.
• Lineage is expanding a Louisville, Kentucky warehouse and recently broke ground on a fully automated Dallas cold storage site, expected to come online in late 2027.