Amazon Breaks Ground On New Bessemer Facility

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Ground has now officially been broken for the Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, slated to open next year. The retail giant held a formal groundbreaking for its fulfillment center in Bessemer on Tuesday. The $325 million project, expected to be completed before peak holiday shopping season in 2019, will employ at least 1,500.

Construction of the 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center is expected to involve 2,200 employees, 82,000 yards of concrete and will occupy the footprint of 15 football fields, according to Amazon. The new fulfillment center will incorporate training programs at Bessemer High School and will also include a bus stop to allow individuals without access to an automobile to work at the center. Amazon donated $10,000 to Bessemer High School at the event to create a STEM program at the school, which is located on nearby property.

The Amazon project will continue the recent trend of investments in logistics and distribution operations in the western portion of the county – a list that includes Dollar General and Publix, among others. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Projections show it will contribute $203 million to Jefferson County’s economic output annually, while adding $123 million to the county’s GDP, according to the study prepared by the Center for Business and Economic Research in the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse School of Business.

“This is a great day for Bessemer, a great day for Amazon, and a great day for the state of Alabama,” Governor Kay Ivey said at the ceremony. “Not only is this fulfillment center bringing new opportunities for our people, but it’s also giving Alabamians a chance to work in a high-tech environment.”

During the ceremony, Amazon presented representatives of Bessemer City Schools with a $10,000 check for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington said he expects Amazon to be an active community supporter.

Rendering via Amazon