Amherst County, Va. – Amazon is officially coming to Madison Heights in Amherst County. In late August, the company invested more than $16 million to build a 78,000-square-foot distribution facility at the Amelon Commerce Center on West Progress Lane.
Amherst residents are looking forward to the convenience.
“My deliveries will be faster and I’m a Prime member, so I get my deliveries pretty quickly,” Dixie Reichard said. “I’m very excited about it,”
The facility will be a “last mile” site, meaning packages will ship directly from the center to customers’ doorsteps. It’s expected to create dozens of local jobs, including positions for drivers and warehouse workers.
“We have a lot of great jobs in Amherst County,” said Victoria Hanson, the Executive Director of the Amherst County Economic Development Authority. “But the reality is, over 50% of the people who live here out commute. They go somewhere else to get the jobs. So, every job we can bring or grow here in Amherst County is really important.”
The county prepared the site in advance, grading the land with help from local funds and state grants in hopes of attracting a major company. Hanson says the strategy paid off, noting several benefits beyond job creation and faster Amazon deliveries
“It’s at least $16 million in just real estate taxes,” Hanson said. “All those taxes come back to make sure we have good schools in Amherst County, good emergency services, law enforcement, good government.”
“My mother-in-law said, ‘Oh my goodness, what does this mean?’” Reichard said “I said it means progress.”
Amazon hasn’t announced an official opening date yet, but 10 News was told by officials site plans have been submitted and construction is expected to move quickly.