Amazon announces first fulfillment

center in St. Lucie County

Amazon announces first fulfillment center in St. Lucie County

 

Amazon announced that the company will be opening its first fulfillment center and creating more than 500 full-time jobs in the city of Port St. Lucie.

Amazon will operate a traditional non-sortable fulfillment center in a 1.1-million-square-foot building to be constructed on 110 acres at Midway Business Park on West Midway Road near the Interstate 95 ramps. Site clearing has begun and construction is projected to be complete by late summer or early fall of 2022.

Employees in the retailer’s non-sortable centers pick, pack, and ship bulky or larger-sized customer items, such as sports equipment, patio furniture, fishing rods, pet food, kayaks, bicycles, and larger household goods. Distribution to individual homes will not be made directly from the center, which is considered a “first-mile” facility.

“We’re excited to expand our network to better serve our customers in Port St. Lucie,” said Mark Marzano, director of operations at Amazon. “We are grateful for the strong support we’ve received from local and state leaders as we broaden our footprint throughout the Sunshine State. We look forward to bringing more than 500 good jobs to St. Lucie County and contributing positively to the community.”

Earlier this year in Port St. Lucie, FedEx Ground began construction of a regional sortation center and has begun hiring for the first of what is anticipated to be 450 full- and part-time positions; and Cheney Brothers announced it was bringing a new distribution center and 380 jobs to the city.

“This latest, in a series of substantial corporate investments, shows the commitment of the county to stabilize our economy and ensure the employment options for all residents of our community,” said St. Lucie County Commission Chair Chris Dzadovsky. “It is also a testament of how the outside corporate world sees the benefit of local government cooperation that offers certainty and speed-to-market. Without the stability created through government agency cooperation, these investments would likely not come our way.”

"The city of Port St. Lucie is thrilled to be home to the latest Amazon fulfillment center. At more than 1 million square feet, the building will be the largest in Port St. Lucie," said Port St. Lucie Vice Mayor Shannon Martin. "More importantly, Amazon will employ about 500 local people, offering full-time jobs with fantastic benefits from Day One. There is much to be celebrated today with the announcement of these jobs, along with the $100 million capital investment in Port St. Lucie by Amazon and developer Seefried Industrial Properties."

Nationwide, Amazon offers a starting wage of starting at $15 per hour and provide comprehensive benefits starting day one on the job. The company also offers an innovative Career Choice program which pays 95% of tuition and fees (up to a yearly maximum) towards a certificate or diploma in qualified fields of study, leading to in-demand jobs.

The Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County (EDC) assisted with the site selection, end-user due diligence, expedited site plan review and master site plan approval in 91 days. Local commercial real estate broker Jeff Chamberlin with SLC Commercial represented the property owner in the sale of the property.

“This important project is evidence that successful economic development truly is a team sport,” said EDC President Pete Tesch. “For example, as part of the expedited review needed, city staff and county engineering worked closely together to effectively coordinate with the Florida Department of Transportation in simplifying the process so we could hit the challenging speed-to-market objective of what was then known as Project Midway.”

Amazon is not receiving any financial, tax or job performance incentives. Once the project is completed, the estimated $100 million in property and equipment invested will generate full tax revenue for the city, county, schools, fire district, South Florida Water Management District, Children’s Services Council, Florida Inland Navigation District, and help pay down the debt for the Crosstown Parkway.

 


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