Governor Ralph Northam announced Amazon will build an east coast distribution hub in Stafford County.
It is the second Amazon logistical hub to be announced for Stafford in the past three months. The new 630,000-square-foot plant is described as a cross-dock facility on the Northern Virginia Gateway site, located at 220 Centreport Parkway. It will serve as one of Amazon’s East Coast hubs, representing the beginning of the supply chain where products from third-party vendors are sorted, repacked, and distributed to its other distribution centers.
Amazon will create 500 entry-level positions at the new facility. In September, the company said it would create 100 more jobs with the creation 200,000 square-foot, last-mile delivery center, also to be located near the county’s airport.
Stafford County’s decision to create a light industrial business environment surrounding the Stafford Regional Airport represents a “win-win” attracting Amazon and other major private enterprises, said a county economic development spokeswoman. The area provides easy access to Interstate 95. The site is also home to another 457,000 SF facility with a tenant still unnamed and recently announced investment by Flint Development Company with plans to build a 930,000 SF facility.
Across the highway from the new Amazon site, global shipping firm DHL is building a new, large distribution hub. Officials said that a recently-upgraded highway interchange at I-95 and Courthouse Road will give the firm’s vehicles easy access to the highway.
“Stafford County established the Centreport Area as a strategic logistics and distribution employment center and focused on attracting major brands,” said Crystal Vanuch, Chairman of the Stafford Board of Supervisors. “This location provides the users with direct access to I-95, placing light industrial business traffic adjacent to Stafford Regional Airport. With five large Centreport properties currently in permits, construction, or opening, the plan’s success is its own reward. We are proud that Amazon selected Stafford as the site for its cross-dock facility.”
The Amazon expansions come as the Stafford Regional Airport grows. Officials said that the runway expanded to 6,000 feet, inviting small-owner aircraft and corporate hangar opportunities for major firms with private planes.
