Our View: Amazon distribution center for Fayetteville metro area will bolster its ‘hub’ status

Amazon has made it official: The world’s largest retailer is building a distribution center in Cumberland County that is expected to bring 500 jobs.

The 1.3 million-square-foot facility is under construction at the Military Business Park off Bragg Boulevard and is expected to open next year.

The move comes as a shot in the arm as Fayetteville and the county, like the rest of the country, are still trying to recover from economic upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Amazon’s news on Thursday was not exactly a surprise, thanks to Observer reporter Jacob Pucci digging into public documents. Numerous indicators since the fall pointed to the retailer as making plans to set up its second operation in Cumberland County. The first, a delivery station also expected to bring hundreds of jobs, is scheduled to open in the next few months on Dunn Road.

Local officials kept mostly silent about a major development nicknamed, “Project Bronco.” Meanwhile, the city and county approved incentives of $1.25 million each for the project.

What the Amazon move means for Cumberland County’s future economic development may be a bigger story. Location was clearly on the retailer’s mind, with two investments in the offing. It means the county may be poised to take advantage of one of its underutilized assets — its position as a metro area of some size that is situated to serve smaller and growing communities in southeast North Carolina, as well as in South Carolina.

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The years-long Interstate 295 project is steadily nearing completion, with several key interchanges already open. The loop connects with I-95, making the county more attractive to interstate commerce.

Not to mention, the loop brings ready access to the interstate from metropolitan Fayetteville’s fastest-growing sections in the north, south and southwest. The city also has a relatively young population compared to the state’s other metros — people perhaps more likely to be enticed by warehouse and delivery jobs.

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Speaking of location, it was specifically cited by officials with Bernhard Capital, the out-of-state investment group that has offered to buy the rights to manage the Public Works Commission, the city-owned utility. Bernhard’s plans included making Fayetteville a hub for similar ventures as the one it proposed for the PWC.

The PWC deal has not gotten anywhere — the utility seems uninterested. But the county’s status as a potential hub with ready interstate access is something local leaders can continue to use as a major selling point.

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In December, Robert Van Geons, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, predicted 2022 would be a year that the city and county expanded their role as a “super-regional logistics hub, with over 2 (million) square feet of projects on the way and more than 2,000 jobs projected.”

Thursday’s Amazon announcement, just over one month into the year, suggest Van Geons’ optimism was not misplaced.

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Amazon distribution center coming to Fayetteville to create 500 jobs