Construction has just started on a massive new Amazon fulfillment centre at the site of the former Ford auto plant on Colonel Talbot Road. Amazon has not confirmed this report but they usually don't give out any information until they finish building. Heavy machinery could be seen at the site moving earth and mobile offices were being set up.
Property Reporter states that the Ford plant was at this location for 44 years when it closed in 2011. About 1,100 people lost their jobs. The plant on 254 hectares of land was torn down in 2015 and the site was listed for sale that year for $22.75 million. Broccolini Construction, which has offices in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, bought the entire site.
"I think you're going to see a real boost to the regional economy because of this. And it's going to come in a variety of different ways. It will come in housing, it will come in spinoff businesses, it'll come in little mom and pop operations. Coffee shops, restaurants, and everything else. So, I think we should be very welcoming of Amazon in this case."
Former London city controller | Gord Hume
While this fulfillment centre will likely create hundreds of jobs, a London labour lawyer cautions future job seekers that Amazon's employee relations haven't always been smooth.
Michael Lynk, a law professor at Western University believes that Amazon monitors every employee's move, including how long they have spent going to the washroom.
According to The London Free Press, the location is ideal for a major development as it sits at the intersection of highways 401 and 402, a half-hour from the 403 and two hours from Toronto and two U.S. states, Michigan and New York.
Amazon is also building two warehouses in London. The way that Amazon works is that products are sent to fulfillment centres, packaged and then sent to warehouses and delivered to customers. One warehouse is being built by Dancor Construction at Huron Street and Robins Hill Road and PCL Construction is renovating a second site at 580 Industrial Road.
The London Economic Development Corp. is working with Amazon to help them hire for the warehouses. There will be more than 100 positions at the sites.
"We're all very excited there will be development on that property after all these years. The spinoff will be great for St. Thomas, Elgin and London. It will affect the whole region, not just one community. It really doesn't matter who it is. In the long run, a project of that scale is a major development."
Chief executive of economic development in St. Thomas | Sean Dyke
Broccolini Construction has built many projects for Amazon, such as:
- Sorting centre, Laval, Quebec
- Fulfillment centre, Ajax
- Fulfillment centre, Barrhaven, near Ottawa
- Sorting centre, Lachine, Quebec
- Sorting Centre, Ernest Cormier, Quebec
- Logistics warehouse, Whitby
- Fulfillment centre, Scarborough
- Fulfillment centre, Ottawa
Civic leaders have said they are hoping for a formal announcement from Amazon in the very near future.
