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Amazon has rented a warehouse in Shirley that will help make “last mile” deliveries to customers.
Amazon signed a lease for 100 Precision Dr. in Shirley, a 110,658-square-foot building that will serve as a “logistics delivery station” and is expected to open next month, Amazon spokeswoman Emily Hawkins told Newsday.
“Delivery stations power the last mile of our order fulfillment process,” she told the paper. “Packages are transported to delivery stations from Amazon fulfillment centers, are sorted, and then loaded into vehicles for delivery to customers.”
The building is located inside the Brookhaven research and development technology park, south of the Long Island Expressway and east of William Floyd Parkway.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine noted that the town has been in negotiations with Amazon for about 18 months, starting with a bid to turn Brookhaven Calabro Airport in Shirley into the home to the company’s East Coast headquarters that would have brought 650 workers. Brookhaven was a New York state finalist, but the company eventually opted out of the state for Virginia.
But conversations continued about a distribution center in the town, including at locations Yaphank and E. Yaphank, before concluding on the Shirley location.
“There are going to be at least 100 warehouse jobs and then they will have the drivers, and we think they will hire another 100,” Romaine said.
The town isn’t providing any tax incentives for the retail giant.
However, considering Suffolk’s population growth and the logistical challenges in connecting to the eastern parts of the county, Romaine said, “Amazon, we believe, will either wind up purchasing this building or building on it. And should they ever want to buy the building or build it, we will take a look at tax benefits.”
He added: “What we’re looking to do is creating jobs for the Moriches Bay, Mastic, Shirley area. Anything that is done during the pandemic will help with expanded economic growth.”
Head to amazon.jobs for more information on job openings.
Amazon already has a distribution center on Grumman Road West in Bethpage has and plans to open another later this year at 2 Westbury Ave. in Carle Place.
Photo: Amazon plans to open a distribution center on Precision Drive in Shirley.
