Amazon in East Fishkill: Everything to Know About the Approved Move

Adobe Stock / Simone

The Hudson Valley gears up to welcome the next location for worldwide retailer Amazon and create more than 500 local jobs in the process.

Big things are coming to East Fishkill; a second Amazon facility is now underway in the Hudson Valley.

“This project is the largest redevelopment project in the history of East Fishkill,” said town supervisor Nicholas D’Alessandro in a recent press release. Construction on a 631,000 sq ft warehouse commences in March 2021 on a portion of the former campus of regional giant IBM.

This logistics center will not be a typical Amazon fulfillment center — one where vehicles make local deliveries and potentially clog traffic but rather a receiving center. Products will arrive from a wide spectrum of manufacturers, be processed, and get sent back out to nearby fulfillment centers.

 

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“Despite uncertainty in the economy, this expansion will provide an important economic boost for the community and job opportunities for our residents,” County Executive Marc Molinaro said in a recent press release. “And we’re proud that Amazon has recognized the great strides we’ve taken over the last nine years to make Dutchess County so attractive for business.”

Part of what makes this property so attractive to Amazon is its proximity to Interstate 84, a piece of Hudson Valley highway that runs over 70 miles from Port Jervis to Brewster. Several fulfillment centers nearby in Connecticut and Pennsylvania make I-84 a prime resource for the Bezos company.

Amazon considered several other destinations in the U.S., but East Fishkill was victorious. Bluewater Property Group, which also manages the construction of a distribution center in the Town of Montgomery, breaks ground on the Dutchess County site early in 2021. The project will be a $135 million investment into the region and can be expected to finish by June 2022.

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Amazon Facility East Fishkill
Photo from Adobe Stock, Gorodenkoff

“The creation of 500 new jobs will provide a tremendous boost to our local economy and we look forward to a long and successful partnership in the community,” D’Alessandro noted at an Industrial Development Agency meeting.

And that number may be just the start. Up to 700 part-time jobs will be generated by Amazon’s arrival, and temporary construction jobs will add another 300-400 positions. The plans include 1,000 employee parking spaces and room for 700 trailers, meaning the potential for further expansion is there. It comes at the perfect time, as Dutchess County is fighting to rebound from pandemic-related setbacks.

Amazon Facility Workers
More than 500 full-time jobs will be available for Dutchess County residents | Photo from Adobe Stock, Gorodenkoff

Zoning approvals for Amazon’s facility also include improvements to local infrastructure. Once constructed, a new town road will act as a bypass to I-84 from Route 52. A proposed roundabout will also ease traffic congestion in the Route 52 business corridor, alongside other traffic area improvements in East Fishkill.

The IDA is working to maximize the financial benefit to this portion of Dutchess County. Potential benefits include a payment in lieu of tax agreement, employee training assistance, and sales tax exemptions. At its new Hudson Valley site, Amazon will be contributing an estimated $1.5 million in property tax — a huge investment to the region.

“The ongoing work of the East Fishkill Business and Economic Redevelopment Committee has also facilitated many of the projects that have come to East Fishkill, especially on the East and West [IBM] campuses….redevelopment of this site is critical to the future success of the municipality,” D’Alessandro notes.

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The Hudson Valley’s iPark 84, located on another portion of the former IBM site, has become quite the hub for businesses, after many parts of the site sat dormant for over 15 years. During one visit to the East Fishkill complex, visitors can sip a refreshing New England IPA from Sloop Brewing, chow on an egg white thin from Crepini, and munch on a healthy rye whiskey cookie from Jane Bakes.

Related: Amazon Is Building a Warehouse in the Hudson Valley

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