The former steel mill site in Sparrows Point got a new name last week to reflect a new mission. This week, the first business to agree to move to the site made the picture a little clearer.
FedEx Ground is set to open a 300,000 sq. ft. distribution center at the site, which is now called Tradepoint Atlantic. Initially, the new hub for the shipping company’s small package division will create 150 full-and-part-time jobs, according to Gov. Larry Hogan’s office.
The facility, which is set to open in 2017, is part of a larger expansion for the company, which said it posted a record holiday season. There are two other similar centers in the area in White Marsh and Halethorpe.
The 150 jobs pale to the 30,000 people that Bethlehem Steel employed at the mill’s 1950s peak, but getting an initial tenant signed is seen as a first step. In all, Tradepoint Atlantic has 3,100 acres, meaning there’s plenty of room for more companies to move in. In addition to ground capabilities, the site also has a deepwater port and rail access.
