Andrews seeks tax abatement for new Fort Worth beer distribution center

Dallas-based Andrews Distributing is seeking a five-year tax abatement for a planned $37 million beer distribution center on nearly 34 acres along Northeast Loop 820 and Railhead Road in north Fort Worth.

The City Council will hear plans for the 400,000-square-foot development Tuesday. Andrews Distributing is seeking the abatement on up to 50 percent of the incremental value of real and business personal property tax generated at the site. The council will need to establish the site as a reinvestment zone in order to award the tax abatement.

Two years ago, Andrew Distributing bought Coors Distributing of Fort Worth and announced that it was considering consolidating its operations off Interstate 35W near Meacham Boulevard with its own Fort Worth location on Pharr Street into a new facility.

Andrew Distributing bought the site along the south side of Loop 820 in December 2012. Fort Worth’s McMillan family owned and operated Coors Distributing for 48 years before selling the company to Andrews on April 1, 2014.

At the time of the sale, Mike McGuire said a new facility was in the works, but that it would take a couple of years to start the project.

McGuire declined to comment Monday on the project, saying he wanted to wait until after the City Council took action on the incentive.

Under the proposed tax abatement deal, Andrew Distributing would have to maintain 460 full-time jobs at the site as of Dec. 31, 2017, with at least 225 jobs held by Fort Worth residents. The company would have to spend $14 million in hard construction, including at least $8.7 million with Fort Worth minority and women-owned firms, according to a city report.

In addition to employment numbers, the company also would be required to meet annual spending amounts on supplies and other services to receive the tax abatement.

Robert Sturns, the city’s economic development director, said the tax abatement is estimated at $620,000 over five years.

The council is scheduled to vote April 12 on establishing the reinvestment zone and April 19 on the tax abatement.

Andrews also has distribution facilities in Dallas, Allen and Corpus Christi. The company said it represents 20 of the top 30 beer brands and in Dallas-Fort Worth, Andrews accounts for 92 percent of the high-end beer sales.

This story was originally published April 4, 2016 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Andrews seeks tax abatement for new Fort Worth beer distribution center."