A 1.284 million square foot warehouse complex is coming to Carneys Point Township. The deal, signed at the end of March, will be one of the many projects on tap for the Salem County town. Although the tenant utilizing the warehouse has not been finalized, the warehouse is expected to create as many as 500 jobs.

The rural town of 7,100 is located in the state’s least populated county, which struggles with high unemployment figures (6.3% in February compared to the state’s average of 4.7%) and low household income of about $52,800 on average.

The warehouse will be close to the McLane Distribution Center, a Wawa fulfillment center located on the westbound side of Route 40 that has already expanded multiple times. Plans include installing a traffic light at Courses Landing Road at Route 40, an intersection that’s been a problem area for years, according to Carneys Point Township Mayor Ken Brown

“What really makes me happy is everybody in our government in our township worked together on this project,” said Brown. “From our codes people to our committee people, to our office personnel, to our attorneys, and everybody else with one focus: To get this job done and bring jobs to our town.”

New Jersey-based Arbok Partners and Panattoni Development Company will be building the warehouse. Both companies and the partnership specializes in industrial development. Bo Farkas, who oversees all acquisition and development opportunities for Arbok Partners, searching for potential areas for development is like trying to find “diamonds in the rough.” Carneys Point fit the bill for the warehouse project. The area is minutes from the New Jersey Turnpike, close to the last exit before heading over the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

“One of the things that New Jersey has a shortage of are big box distribution buildings, especially those in the one million square feet size range. That was the main impetus for seeking out larger sites like the one in Carneys Point.”

Carneys Point Township NJ is having a Warehouse .Thats correct,the Township is planning on giving birth to a 1.284... Posted by Ken Brown on Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Carneys Point is one of two Salem County municipalities designated as an opportunity zone, an initiative the state says tries to bring more development and economic opportunities to urban and rural areas.

Brown said he is hoping the warehouse and other businesses that have spawned recently in the township will kickstart more developers to consider Carneys Point. While he does like to see the development, he has to strike a complicated balance seen in other areas of the state.

“We do have two contingents in our town, people that want to see development and people that don’t want to see development, because we were in a very lovely county and a very lovely township,” Brown said. “We have a lot of open space and farmlands around here, but we have got to strike a balance to where we also have to have jobs and ratables while also having good environment to live and open space. I think we are getting to that point.”

Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews or on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips