Amazon Eyes Michigan as Home for New Distribution Center
GAINES TOWNSHIP, MI - After Grand Rapids lost out to more tech-savvy locations in the running for Amazon’s HQ2 location earlier this year, is Amazon eyeing Michigan for a different proposed facility? According to a report by MiBiz, many are speculating yes. Last week, a group called Project Rapids went before Gaines Township’s planning commission to propose an 855,000-square-foot distribution center. While Project Rapids did not disclose the developer by name, many have assumed Amazon is behind the project.
The project is currently proposed for 100 acres of land owned by Steelcase, and in its application, Project Rapids outlined plans for a two-story warehouse and distribution center building with an internal floor area of roughly one-million-square-feet, including 55,000-square-feet of office space.
If the Project Rapids’ proposal is approved, the request will go before the Gaines Township Board on April 9th, followed by a more detailed site plan set to be presented to the Planning Commission at its April 22nd meeting.
“Our timing for the project is such that we want to go through the feasibility stage in the next 60 days, April and May, so that we could be in a position to begin construction in June,” a member of the Project Rapids team said, according to local ABC affiliate WZZM13.
Amazon, however, has yet to confirm its place in the project; Shevaun Brown, Amazon’s Regional Operations PR Manager, writing in an email to MiBiz, said: “Amazon is constantly investigating new locations to support the growth and increase the flexibility of its North American network to address customers’ needs. Amazon is not yet commenting on any specific plans in Michigan.”
And while Michigan is not uncharted territory for the e-commerce giant, as it is currently in various stages of development and construction for three facilities in Detroit, will Amazon claim Michigan as the site for its next distribution center? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest.
