SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) – FedEx Ground has announced plans to build a large distribution center on the northwest side of South Bend.

The project is part of the shipping company's $1.2 billion effort to keep up with the booming online shopping industry. The 200,000-square-foot facility proposed in the Ameriplex at Interstate 80/90 in South Bend is among 70 expansion projects aimed at strengthening FedEx's ground shipping capacity.

A FedEx Ground spokesman tells the South Bend Tribune (http://bit.ly/1AbteAY ) the company has selected that location because of its easy access to highways, proximity to customers and strong workforce. He says the distribution center should be completed in May 2016 and will replace an existing facility that serves the area.

A state construction report estimates development on the 30-acre site will cost between $15 million and $25 million.