SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Amazon confirmed on Thursday that a Spokane Valley development shrouded in mystery for months will serve as a "non-sort" fulfillment center.
The fulfillment center located at 18007 E. Garland Avenue is slated to open in 2021. Amazon said it will specialize in large items and create more than 1,000 new full-time jobs with a starting wage of $15 per hour and comprehensive benefits.
“This is a positive step toward strengthening and maintaining the resilience of our local economy particularly during these unprecedented times,” Sen. Mike Padden (R-Spokane Valley) said in a press release. “I will continue to work in the Senate to create an economic environment in our district and across the state that is welcoming to employers and job creation and will keep us competitive as a region.”
Amazon already employs more than 4,000 people in Spokane at its fulfillment center located off of Geiger Boulevard.
Employees at the 1.5-million-square-foot facility will fulfill large items such as bulk cleaning supplies and paper goods, pet food and supplies, patio furniture, baby strollers and outdoor sports equipment such as kayaks, skis and fishing gear, Amazon said. The company also said the new fulfillment center will help enable faster shipping times on customer orders of larger items.
“Spokane Valley is home to a vibrant and diverse business community, as well as a growing number of residential neighborhoods,” said Lisa Brown, Washington State Department of Commerce Director. “We are pleased by Amazon’s decision to locate a new fulfillment center in Spokane Valley, knowing that this brings the kind of jobs, economic investment, and community partnership that will support residents and businesses in the coming years.”
PHOTOS: Amazon fulfillment center construction site
On top of the starting wage of $15 per hour, Amazon offers comprehensive benefits for full-time employees, including full medical, vision and dental insurance as well as a 401(k) with 50 percent match starting. Amazon also offers up to 20 weeks of maternal and parental paid leave and benefits such as Leave Share and Ramp Back.
Employees will also have access to Amazon’s Career Choice program, which pre-pays 95 percent of tuition for courses in high-demand fields such game design, nursing, IT programming and more, the company said. The program is available to all Amazon hourly associates in the U.S. who have been employed at the company for one continuous year.
Amazon is also planning to take over the former Lowe's building on North Division Street.
The 116,000 square-foot building is expected to serve as a delivery station, where team members will receive trucks full of orders then prepare them for delivery. There are part-time and full-time job opportunities at deliver stations, and shift are typically four to 10 hours long.
Site plans filed with the city say the delivery station will house a 9,600 square-foot office. There are also 117 parking spaces slated for employees, 73 spaces for trucks and fleet vans. City documents also indicate plans for a new loading dock and additional parking at a site south of the delivery center for fleet vans.
The interior demolition permit is valued at $200,000. However, the preliminary application filed with the city estimates the total cost of the project to be $15 million.