WhiteWave Foods Co. has leased 50,000 square feet in Louisville to open a food preparation, research and testing facility. 

The lease on the property at 1900 Cherry St. will start March 1, according to Etkin Johnson Real Estate Partners, which is responsible for leasing the newly constructed industrial building on the site.

The WhiteWave lease is the first signed on the 66,350-square-foot building, which began vertical construction last spring in the Colorado Technology Center.

WhiteWave manufactures plant-based foods and beverages with distribution throughout North America and Europe.

WhiteWave is headquartered in Broomfield and in September announced that it would purchase Oregon-based So Delicious Dairy Free for $195 million in cash.

"We continue to see substantial growth in the northwest corridor and believe this lease is indicative of the demand we've seen for Class A industrial/flex space in the market," said Ryan Good, vice president of leasing and sales at Etkin Johnson. "A sizable lease with a quality tenant like WhiteWave at our most recent development is a testament to the strength of our tenant relationships and our development strategy within the region."