Amazon Last-Mile Delivery Facility coming to Ottawa, creating 100-plus jobs, spanning 50,800 square feet

The city of Ottawa announced Thursday the arrival of a new Amazon Last-Mile Delivery Facility, bringing 100 or more jobs, set to be constructed in the Ottawa Industrial Park.

The 50,800-square-foot warehouse will be an addition to Amazon’s regional logistics network, helping streamline package delivery to residents and businesses across the region.

“It wasn’t out of the dark, by any means. It has a lot to do with the hard work that our economic development team does in promoting the sites. They were looking for a facility in this area that meets these requirements, we responded and were able to land it.”

—  Robb Hasty, Ottawa mayor

This facility that will create about 100 jobs, with the added positions of contracted drivers of the vans, will operate as a “last-mile” hub, where large volumes of parcels will be sorted and dispatched into separate delivery trucks, allowing for efficient and timely delivery to nearby areas. Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty said there will be less than 15 semi deliveries between 6 to 8 a.m. Anywhere from 100 to 150 vans will leave the site at 10 a.m. and the facility should be empty by noon. Those vans are expected to return at about 6 to 8 p.m.

The construction of the warehouse recently began, marking a milestone in Ottawa’s ongoing efforts to foster economic growth and enhance infrastructure, the mayor said in a Thursday news release.

“We are thrilled to welcome Amazon to Ottawa,” Hasty said. “This new facility will not only create jobs but also place Ottawa at the heart of a cutting-edge logistics network, benefiting both our community and the broader region.

“I’m glad that they chose Ottawa and we’re looking forward to this being a good stepping stone for other development in our industrial park.”

The Ottawa City Council approved in August the sale of a piece of property at U.S. 6/Route 71 and Technology Drive, but did not provide any details at the time of the sale. Hasty said at that time the agreement with Ryan Companies U.S. Inc. contained a non-disclosure clause, and that the city would “hopefully very soon” be able to disclose the nature of the transaction.

According to Hasty, the city advertised openings in the industrial park on several websites. That caught Amazon’s attention, so the merchandising giant approached Ottawa.

“It wasn’t out of the dark, by any means,” Hasty said. “It has a lot to do with the hard work that our economic development team does in promoting the sites. They were looking for a facility in this area that meets these requirements, we responded and were able to land it.”

Hasty said there were “no incentives that were offered” in the acquisition. As the property is located in both a tax increment financing district (TIF) and an enterprise zone, there were incentives available. However, Hasty said the city “did not enter into any kind of a TIF agreement with Amazon, nor did they apply for any enterprise zone credits.”

The new facility represents a strategic investment in Ottawa’s industrial sector and is expected to generate a range of employment opportunities, from warehouse operations to delivery services, the city said.

“Since this is a last-mile delivery hub, most of its traffic is lightweight vehicles – delivery vans and so forth – so there will not be an insane amount of heavy trucks coming and going. It will be mostly delivery vehicles.”

Ottawa officials said they are committed to supporting Amazon through every phase of development, ensuring a seamless construction process and integration into the local economy.

“This last mile facility will allow us to better serve customers in Ottawa and the surrounding region,” senior manager of economic development for Amazon Kyle DeGiulio said. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the city of Ottawa and look forward to sharing more details about this facility and the good jobs we’ll offer in the future.”

The Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce issued a statement of congratulations Thursday.

“Congratulations to the City of Ottawa on this exciting announcement,” said Ottawa Area Chamber Executive Director Jay McCracken. “Our Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working closely with the city of Ottawa and Amazon as we continue to support business growth and development in our Ottawa area.”