Amazon to Build Robotics Fulfillment Center in Fort Myers
Fort Myers, FL – Online retail giant Amazon is set to bring its cutting-edge robotics technology to Fort Myers with the construction of a new 650,000-square-foot fulfillment center. The facility will be located near The Forum, a master-planned community in Fort Myers, and is expected to create over 1,000 full- and part-time jobs.
The company recently purchased 143 acres of the 189-acre site at 10631 State Road 82 for $66.5 million. This will be Amazon’s third location in Lee County but its first robotics fulfillment center. Construction is slated to commence next year and be completed by mid-2027.
Amazon paid $66.5 million for 143 acres in Fort Myers.
Advanced Robotics Technology
Amazon’s new fulfillment center will integrate advanced robotics to streamline the storage, picking, and packing processes for deliveries. The company, which acquired Kiva Systems in 2012 and has incorporated more than 750,000 robots across its distribution network, uses a system that couples mobile robots with robotic arms to bring items to employees at ergonomic workstations. The company says the system is intended to make the workday safer, easier, and more productive, while also speeding up package delivery.
Amazon anticipates that this new technology will reduce costs by 25% during peak delivery periods, and will improve employee safety and ergonomics. The company also notes that the advanced robotics centers will require 30% more employees in reliability, maintenance, and engineering roles.
Economic Impact and Development
Salaries at the Fort Myers center are expected to average $22 per hour. The new fulfillment center is in an area of rapid development. According to a June 26 Fort Myers Board of Adjustment hearing, the Amazon project is “a very small fraction of what is coming” to the area, according to Joe Madden, a prominent Fort Myers real estate attorney.
The land where the fulfillment center will be constructed is surrounded by a proposed apartment community, existing apartments, undeveloped property, and the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.
Recent Real Estate Investments
Amazon’s land purchase is one of the latest in a series of significant real estate investments in Lee County. Recent notable transactions include Martin Marietta’s $620 million purchase of nearly 2,000 acres, and Chicago-based Walton Capital’s $155 million acquisition of the Tri-County 75 industrial park. In addition, EQT Exeter bought the CenterLinks Business Park for $92.5 million.
Justin Thibaut, president and CEO of LSI Cos., which brokered the deal, stated that the Amazon project will “further accelerate the rapid economic growth” in Fort Myers.
