Santa Maria Announces Development Plans to Build New Amazon Delivery Warehouse

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - The City of Santa Maria has confirmed a much-discussed new package delivery warehouse coming to the city will be an Amazon facility.

Santa Maria Community Development Director Chenin Dow made the public announcement during the annual "State of the City" address Tuesday night at Allan Hancock College.

"We've been working with Seefried Development for some time to bring a distribution warehouse, as is well known on Stowell (Road) here in the City of Santa Maria," said Dow. "That will be an Amazon last mile distribution facility."

The announcement ends months of speculation that centered on Amazon being the company that will operate package distribution from the massive 240,000 square foot warehouse on the 32-acre site.

Information from a city report from earlier this year indicated the planned delivery warehouse will serve as the final step in the e-commerce fulfillment process, operating 24/7 to deliver goods to customers within 125 square miles adjacent to the location.

According to Dow, the new warehouse will created an estimated 800 new jobs for our local residents. 

"Development is a priority for the City Council and for the City of Santa Maria," said Dow. "We think it's really important for our local residents to have job opportunities that are local to help address the jobs and housing imbalance that we have here, and make sure that people have opportunities to grow here in place without ever having to leave the Santa Maria region. This company also does a number of things to support its existing employees. For example, funding higher education. They recognize that this could be a launch board for additional opportunities in the future."

Located on West Stowell Road, the vacant property is now in its initial stages of what could be a two-year long construction process.

"They grading permits are pulled, building permits are pulled, and you can see activity as you drive by," said Dow. "They're looking at approximately 18 to 24 months construction timeline."

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