[Techtaffy Newsdesk]
Amazon.com says it has plans to open a 1.0 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Middletown, Delaware. Amazon will create 850 full-time jobs at the new center. Total investment in the project will exceed $90 million. The Middletown facility will be Amazon’s second fulfillment center in Delaware. Amazon opened its fulfillment center in New Castle in 1997. The company currently employs hundreds of full-time workers at the facility.
In December, the Delaware Economic Development Office awarded Amazon $3.47 million from the Delaware Strategic Fund to support the expansion, of which $2.12 million will help create new jobs at the site. The fund will also contribute to the company’s infrastructure investment, equal to 3 percent of the total capital expenditures, or a maximum of $1.35 million.
A separate grant for up to $4 million from the Delaware New Jobs Infrastructure Fund will be used to build extensions of public roads to serve the project, improve traffic flow and provide access to additional properties for future economic development.
Amazon will also benefit from a real estate tax abatement from the town of Middletown for the next 10 years.
Amazon’s new facility is expected to be complete this fall. Amazon’s fulfillment centers in Delaware are operated by Amazon.com.dedc, LLC.