ASHLAND — Construction is moving swiftly at Ashland’s new $22 million Amazon facility. Officials expect crews to lay the foundation starting next week.
“They called our office to coordinate inspections,” said Shane Kremser, the city’s engineer, referring to foundation inspections.
Amazon closed the real estate transaction on Dec. 2 for the project taking shape at the intersection of Wells Road and U.S. Route 250.
Here’s a closer look into the Amazon project, according to plans filed with the engineer’s office under the code name “Project Arrow.”
Project Arrow
One of their developers told me (Amazon) uses the high school mascot as code names for projects. So that’s the story with the name.
Shane kremser, city engineer
Site stats
- Project cost: $22,000,000
- Height of building: 50 feet
- 175 associate parking spaces
- 169 van parking spaces
- 7 handicap accessible spaces; 1 handicap van accessible space
- 78,558 square-foot facility
- 16,492 square-foot canopy in the rear of the building
Amazon referred to the facility as a “last-mile delivery station.” The e-commerce giant describes these buildings as facilities where items are sorted and “loaded onto delivery vehicles for dispatch to your end customer.”
These local deliveries will be made by Amazon delivery people, but also through partnerships with small businesses. Amazon launched its “Amazon Hub Delivery” program in 2023. It enlists small business owners to deliver packages daily — and pays them for it.
The exact amount is undisclosed, but Amazon has estimated the program could boost earnings to $27,000 a year. If a company delivers 30 packages per day, the estimated average amount, including weekends but excluding major holidays, that amounts to about $2.50 per package.
When launched in summer of 2023, Amazon said the program would focus on rural areas and large, dense cities.
Amazon was not immediately available to answer questions about the hub delivery program’s presence in Ashland.
Timeline
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said he doesn’t know when construction will finalize.
“When I asked them recently about it, they just told me ‘it’ll be up quicker than you think,’” he said.
Documents and city ordinances state approvals for site permits are “invalid if construction work has not commenced within 12 months.” But construction has technically began with the digging of a retention pond on east side of the property.
Developers are allowed one extension for an additional 12-month period, but the extension must be applied for at least 10 days before the expiration. A fee not to exceed $100 also applies, according to city documents.
If work is delayed or suspended for more than six months, the city’s approval of the project is invalid, according to state building codes. Extensions can be applied for, however.
