PORTLAND — Troutdale, Ore., could soon be home to an enormous Amazon facility.
The Port of Portland Commission voted Wednesday to approve the proposed sale of about 74 acres at the Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park for the development of a 855,000-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center.
The facility, first reported by the Gresham Outlook in December, is expected to open in 2018.
In a statement, Keith Leavitt, the port’s chief commercial officer, said the addition of the Amazon facility would add “significant job growth and economic activity” to the communities in east county.
Developer Trammell Crow Co. will manage the design and construction of the facility.
Trammell Crow, along with the city of Troutdale, were named in an April 26 non-disclosure agreement obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive through a public records request for documents about the Amazon project.
Because the site is located in an enterprise zone, Amazon may qualify for tax breaks for up to five years.
The facility would occupy three large lots in the industrial park, and would sit between the Troutdale airport and a FedEx Ground facility.
Amazon’s fulfillment centers are home to the printers, labelers and conveyor systems that enable it to fill customers’ orders. According to its website, it operates more than 50 fulfillment centers throughout the U.S.
Last month, it announced it would open its first fulfillment center in Colorado, creating 1,000 full-time jobs. It’s unclear how many jobs the Troutdale fulfillment center could offer.
In 2014, Business Insider reported that fulfillment center employees usually earn between $10 and $14 per hour, and they receive benefits such as health insurance and a 401(k).
The internet retailer’s need for more room to store and process its products is increasing as its sales continue to grow. It reported $136 billion in revenue last year, a 27 percent jump over 2015.
