Amazon is set to put up a warehouse and delivery facility in Simi Valley. The proposal for the establishment of the facility moved a step closer to being approved after the city authorized award of a conditional-use permit.
The Simi Valley Planning Commission voted to allow the applicant, Greenlaw Partners to redesign an existing building into an Amazon delivery station. The delivery facility is expected to create 300 more jobs.
Amazon intends to transform the vacant 290,000-square-foot building sitting on a 43.55-acre site at 400 National Way into its delivery facility. The building was initially occupied by Bank of America corporate offices.
In a comment during a public hearing on the project, Commission Chairman Allan Mann said the project will be beneficial to the local community as it will create additional jobs and inject new life into the abandoned building.
“This, in my opinion, is a good project because it brings jobs and it brings life into that old abandoned building,” said Mann. These sentiments were echoed by Commissioner John Casselberry Jr. who said it is a phenomenal project that will put the site to great use.
The City Council is expected to meet on Nov.9 to issue a tentative approval to the project. According to representatives from Amazon who made a presentation before the commission, most of the jobs that will be created at the facility will full-time positions accompanied by benefits. Among the jobs that will be created include independent contractor drivers and employees working out of the facility.
In his presentation, Stephen Maduli-Williams, an Amazon economic development manager said the e-commerce giant has maintained its long tradition of hiring locally. In addition, Amazon Entitlements Manager Humberto Quintana added that the proposed Amazon delivery station will prepare customer orders “for ‘last-mile’ delivery. This is the last stage in the package’s life cycle.
