Proposed Amazon Distribution Warehouse in Stoughton Gains Momentum

Stoughton could be home to a new Amazon distribution warehouse come late fall.

A proposal to have Amazon.com upgrade a vacant facility on Technology Center Drive gained momentum this week after being kept under wraps for several months as officials discussed nogitations surrounding the project.

On Tuesday, the Stoughton Board of Selectmen approved a tax incentive financing agreement that would allow Amazon to locate a major distribution center in a building at 1,000 Technology Center Dr. that was previously used as a Reebok distribution facility and has since been vacant for several years, according to Selectman Bob O’Reagan.

“This will be a high-tech facility,” O’Reagan said. “They will be investing $17 million in equipment; they will be making significant upgrades to the building to get it ready for themselves.”

The move, O’Reagan said, could be of significant benefit to the town, as Amazon aims to employ about 125 full-time employees with an average annual income of $45,000 each. The move would also open the door for potentially hundreds of other part-time employees during peak shopping seasons, O’Reagan said.

“It’s been in negotiations for many months,” said O’Reagan, who clarified that the project had been under a non-disclosure agreement until Monday morning. Officials plan to schedule a Special Town Meeting on Sept. 8 to approve the tax incentive deal, which O’Reagan said was initially brought to Stoughton by the Massachusetts Department of Economic Development.

“They were great assistants to bringing this to the town,” he said. “They are participating in an incentive program to the town as well. It will go before the State Economic Development council in September for their approval. If all of these approvals happen, we’re looking to have the facility up and running before the end of November.”

He added, “This really is a significant piece of economic development for the town. We’ve got a high-tech, global company putting a facility with many well-paying jobs. This is exactly the kind of progress that we’ve known we could have and now let’s lock this up and build on it. This is a great opportunity for us to shine to other businesses that that area can take on more tenants.”

O’Reagan commended the efforts of Town Manager Michael Hartman and Town Planner Noreen O’Toole with facilitating the process. Hartman, for his part, reiterated that the move would be a big plus for Stoughton.

“We believe it will be of tremendous benefit to the town in the long run,” Hartman said. “We believe it will be of benefit to many of the local businesses.”

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