BREAKING NEWS: Starbucks facility coming to Lebanon

Starbucks is coming to Lebanon, but it’s not the coffeehouse where most patrons are used to getting a cup of joe.

A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed late Thursday the Seattle-based coffee company would build and operate a distribution center in Lebanon. The spokesperson said the facility would employ about 150 workers during the next three years and be ready to open in the fall.

“When we talk about economic development in Wilson County, it’s a win-win,” said Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto. “It’s a win because it brings jobs, and it’s a win because it brings sales tax, which means more money for our schools. It continues to refuel itself.

“I think it’s important to applaud people like G.C. Hixson and Tammy Stokes at the economic development office. These things don’t just happen. It takes a lot of work. This is another example that Wilson County is the place to be.”

Hixson said the county industrial board has to accept the property, but it’s a mere formality with a majority of the approval process already complete.

Starbucks, under the disguise of a development referred to as Project Zinc, was approved Tuesday for a tax-break incentive by the Lebanon City Council in partnership with the Wilson County Commission.

“It’s important to have a quality company here like Starbucks,” Hutto said. “It’s like Amazon, and those are big-name companies. It’s out there on the big property, so I think it will spur on more companies to locate there. Every time we land a well-known corporation, such as Amazon or Starbucks, it gives us then chance to seek out their corporate office. That’s one of our missions is to seek out a corporate office to bring it here. This gives us another opportunity.”

Under the name Project Zinc, Starbucks received preliminary plat and site plan approval from the Lebanon Planning Commission last week, but those involved kept the details about coffee giant quiet.

Jeff Hall, owner of the Hall Group, said his Lebanon-based architecture company landed the design project for the new Starbucks facility.

“Not only is this project going to bring jobs to the community in the near future, it already has,” Hall said.

The Starbucks distribution center will be a roughly 685,000-square-feet facility to be along State Route 840 off of Central Pike as a part of State Farm Route 840. Lebanon Planning Commissioner Paul Corder has said the project involves warehouses and lot of loading docks.

The council will also approved support of an application for a state industrial access grant to build an industrial access road to serve the Starbucks facility.

“It’s an excellent organization, and a great thing for Lebanon,” said Lebanon City Councilor Rob Cesternino. “They will find out how great Wilson County is just like I did when I moved here from Seattle. We’ve got Amazon here, and Starbucks is coming. I hope someone is working on Microsoft."