Amazon fulfillment center officially coming to Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - After much speculation surrounding “Project Mango,” Leon County has announced that an Amazon fulfillment center is coming to Tallahassee.

The county says the 630,000 square-foot fulfillment center is expected to open in 2022 and create more than 1,000 new, full-time jobs.

Jobs at the fulfillment center will have a minimum wage of $15 an hour, along with industry-leading benefits such as healthcare, 401(k) retirement savings and career skills training programs, the press release says.

“Amazon’s project is a once-in-a-generation economic development opportunity for the entire community,” said Leon County Commission Chairman Rick Minor. “Amazon’s investment in Florida’s Capital County will be transformative. We are living in extraordinary times, and our ability to create more employment opportunities for local families could not have come at a better time.”

The FSU Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis says the project could create a total of 3,600 new jobs (1,346 full-time, 2,256 construction), $167.6 million in wages and generate about $451 million in local economic impact for Tallahassee and Leon County.

Amazon says employees at its fulfillment centers use advanced robotics and pick, pack and ship small items, like toys, books and electronics, to customers.

Leon County Administrator Vincent Long says he is proud of the many county workers who negotiated with Amazon to make this a reality.

“The Amazon project will be the largest job-producing opportunity in our community’s history, serving as a testament to Leon County’s continuous strategic efforts to develop and grow our local economy,” Long says.

The release says the county expects Amazon to put forth $200 million in capital investment for the fulfillment center. Construction is expected to begin near the Mahan Drive/I-10 interchange in September 2021 and be completed in late 2022, the county says.

Amazon’s vice president of worldwide economic development, Holly Sullivan, says the Tallahassee fulfillment center and five new delivery stations coming to Florida shows the company’s commitment to the state.

“The new facilities not only allow us to better serve our customers across the state, it allows us to create jobs and drive opportunity within the Sunshine State,” Sullivan says. “We’re proud to have created more than 52,000 jobs and invested more than $18 billion in the state over the past decade.”

The city and county’s Intergovernmental Agency Board recently approved about $2.5 million in incentives to support Amazon’s expansion. That money is coming from the Office of Economic Vitality’s Targeted Business Program, the release says.

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey says Amazon’s major investment is evidence of the area’s position as a vital regional economic hub.

“Supporting job growth and diversifying our economy is key to creating economic prosperity in our city,” Dailey says.

Amazon says it expects to open its new Florida sites at the following locations in 2022:

• Fulfillment Center – 6720 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308
• Delivery Station – 3998 Sarno Road, Melbourne, FL 32934
• Delivery Station – 1301 President Barack Obama Highway, Riviera Beach, FL 33404
• Delivery Station – 4000 NW 126th Avenue, Coral Springs, FL 33076
• Delivery Station – 16300 Lee Road, Fort Myers, FL 33967
• Delivery Station – 6101 45th Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33714 (City of Pinellas Park)

RELATED STORIES:

• Petition against ‘Project Mango’ gathers hundreds of signatures
• Leon County gives final approval to ‘Project Mango’ fulfillment center
• ‘Project Mango’ fulfillment center moving on to Development Review Committee
• Massive retail ‘fulfillment center’ planned at Mahan/I-10 interchange in Tallahassee

Copyright 2021 WCTV. All rights reserved.