New "Project Rex" to bring 1,500 jobs, $200 million in improvement

[FlaBoy]

I didn't realize Amazon ended opening four fulfillment centers in Florida back in 2014. I guess it's only logical to expand in remaining areas where they don't have decent coverage. The two big centers Jax lost the initial 2014 race to were built in Ruskin (suburban Tampa) and Lakeland.

Ruskin - 1.1 million sf (9/2014) - 2,500 employees
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/retail/have-a-look-inside-the-1-million-square-foot-amazon-fulfillment-center-in/2271254

Lakeland - 1 million sf (12/2014) - 800 employees
http://blog.taxjar.com/amazon-fulfillment-center-lakeland-fl/


They also opened two smaller "sortation" centers in Davenport (Polk County) and Miami.

Davenport 400,000 sf (2014) - 100 employees
http://www.theledger.com/article/20141128/newschief/141129234


Miami 335,841 sf (10/2014) - 300 employees
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article4125518.html

Based on the description, what's proposed sounds moreso like the Ruskin and Lakeland distribution centers.  Here's a video of the Ruskin location's recent open house:

http://video.tampabay.com/?ndn.trackingGroup=90964&ndn.siteSection=tbtimes&ndn.videoId=30554907&freewheel=90964&sitesection=tbtimes&vid=30554907

As far as them impacting traditional retail locally, I think it's too early to tell. Amazon has three centers within close proximity of the I-4 corridor and retailers and shopping centers down there still seem to be humming along.

Walmart and Target have seen problems of recent who would be Amazon's direct competition in many ways.

[thelakelander]

^They still seem to be expanding in the Bay area but what is interesting is Walmart's response to Amazon. Walmart is now building their own e-commerce fulfillment centers.  A $200 million, two million square foot Walmart fulfillment center is currently under construction immediately next door to Amazon's Davenport center.
http://www.flgov.com/2015/09/17/governor-scott-and-walmart-announce-new-e-commerce-fulfillment-centers-more-than-625-new-jobs-in-polk-county/

[Steve]

It might be Amazon, but their model is less about airports. With prime for example, they want to be within 2 days ground of a customer. If they had to air ship everything, then it wouldn't work.

Airports are becoming more important to them as they become their own shipper.  They recently leased a fleet of Boeing aircraft and have purchased significant stakes in European delivery companies.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-09/amazon-to-lease-boeing-767s-from-air-transport-atsg-shares-soar

When you run the flight, it's less important. The reason some fulfillment companies locate near airports is to process as long as possible and still make an evening sort by a carrier. When you're the carrier, while still important, it's less important.

In addition, if you're doing it all you don't have to be by the main airport. They could build next to Cecil and get their own benefit.

[jaxlore]

One day service article:

Pope said don't expect the same-day service to be the "shining star" of Jacksonville. When Baltimore, about twice the size of Jacksonville, got its same-day service, Pope said the offer would come up in casual conversation, but it was just another benefit of Amazon.
"It's more likely users will just see one day that they have the service available," he said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2016/04/14/if-jacksonville-gets-amazon-when-do-we-get-same.html?ana=RSS%26s=article_search

[thelakelander]

The proposed site plan. Pretty much looks like the footprints of the Ruskin and Lakeland distribution centers.



More: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=547386

[edjax]

And the land is already under contract.

[FlaBoy]

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2016/04/18/amazon-prepping-to-launch-prime-now-in-tampa-area.html?ana=fbk

Prime Now may be coming to Jax as well. It may be the reason they are making this move in Jax now. 

[marty904]

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=547409
Looks like everyone from the city to JTA is bending over backwards for "Rex".  I guess when you're "that company" the pension embargo doesn't hold water and forget the 6 month old promise to to "revamp" the skyway - "we gotta get the Flyer out there and give Rex "dedicated public transportation".

[spuwho]

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=547409
Looks like everyone from the city to JTA is bending over backwards for "Rex".  I guess when you're "that company" the pension embargo doesn't hold water and forget the 6 month old promise to to "revamp" the skyway - "we gotta get the Flyer out there and give Rex "dedicated public transportation".

Wait until "that" company wants an HRO!

[tufsu1]

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=547409
"we gotta get the Flyer out there and give Rex "dedicated public transportation".

to be fair, the Flyer needs to go to the airport....so I have no problem with the statement

[spuwho]

Apparently Amazon ran into a little problem in Boston recently when their data science didn't match up with local political science.

Per Seattle Times:

Criticism alters Amazon's service

Facing backlash from local elected officials, Amazon.com says it will soon launch same-day delivery service for Prime members in a predominantly African-American Boston neighborhood that was excluded while it served surrounding areas.

The move came after Boston Mayor Martin Walsh last week lambasted the company for making the Roxbury neighborhood "a hole right in the heart of our city" in terms of same-day delivery.

The controversy was sparked by a Bloomberg News investigation that highlighted how Amazon's same-day delivery service was unavailable in some minority neighborhoods in six big cities.

In Boston, Roxbury stood out because it's fairly central, right in the middle of areas where same-day delivery happened.

Amazon contended that as it deployed the service it focused on places with a high density of Prime members and considered other data such as distance from fulfillment centers. The company also says it factors in whether the logistics providers it contracts with are able to deliver packages up to 9 p.m. "every single day, even Sunday."

Amazon said race plays no role in setting service boundaries.

In a statement released by Boston City Hall on Tuesday, the mayor complained that Amazon executives were "not willing to change their policy."

"We understand that the people who run Amazon don't live here and might not understand our great neighborhoods, but this is an egregious mistake that must be changed," the mayor said.

After the mayor's statements, Amazon said it is "actively working with our local carrier to enable service to the Roxbury neighborhood in coming weeks."

"We are always looking to expand the benefits our Prime members receive and that's exactly what we're doing," Amazon said.

Elected officials in New York City and Chicago, meanwhile, have called for state and federal investigations examining how the company determines which neighborhoods are eligible for quick delivery of goods.

[Steve]

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=547409
Looks like everyone from the city to JTA is bending over backwards for "Rex".  I guess when you're "that company" the pension embargo doesn't hold water and forget the 6 month old promise to to "revamp" the skyway - "we gotta get the Flyer out there and give Rex "dedicated public transportation".

Does improving First Coast Flyer prevent work on the Skyway? I'll say this, had Mike Blaylock still been the CEO I might have agreed with you. Ford on the other hand seems to actually be able to lay out a vision and direct his team to execute it. IMO, JTA was a disaster when he took over, and he's done quite a bit since he's been there. It wasn't going to be an overnight turnaround - they didn't become a mess overnight.

[RattlerGator]

Hmmmmm . . . more speculation today that site could have more than double the square footage of that found in west central Florida:

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=547569

Very interesting.

[thelakelander]

Are you sure? When I read the article, I get the impression that it will be pretty similar to their latest distribution centers. Thus, on some level, I'd assume their interiors have some height as well. 

After doing a quick google search, my assumption may be correct. Here's the interior of a few of their other distribution centers.  All appear to have some height for vertical storage of goods:

[RattlerGator]

No, I'm definitely not sure. I'm wondering if the speculation in the Daily Record is more than mere speculation and is substantive. Karen Brune Mathis isn't some rookie reporter. That speculation is the lede of her article.