A new Amazon warehouse is getting ready to take shape in Syosset. Just months after the online retailer announced it was creating a location in Carle Place, they are creating a similar facility just a few miles away.
The Syosset warehouse will be Amazon’s fourth on Long Island, an expansion that’s come as a result of the HQ2 debacle that saw plenty of backlash as Amazon attempted to ink a deal in Long Island City, Queens. Now, Amazon is receiving plenty of cooperation from leaders inside of the Town of Oyster Bay, and it is likely to happen.
Amazon plans to build a 200,000-square-foot facility on the former property of Cerro Wire, which lies just off to the side of the Long Island Expressway. The project will create an estimated 550 jobs, with Supervisor Joseph Saladino saying there will be about 150 warehouse employees and 400 delivery drivers, not including the dozens hired to construct the facility.
“Welcoming Amazon to this location would give our local economy a boost with hundreds of new jobs and provide a greater tax base to help keep residential property taxes in check,” Saladino said. “Amazon would create over 550 new jobs in our area while environmentally cleaning up the property and eliminating a current eyesore.”
A year ago, the property was considered as the area for the Syosset Park development project, which would have created a mixed-use community, featuring housing, retail and entertainment spaces, as well as hotels. It would have combined the 39-acre Cerro Wire property with 54 acres owned by the town. Taubman Centers previously planned to build a shopping mall on the property, but competitor Simon Property Group prevented that from happening. In 2014, Simon purchased the property from Taubman Centers.
Saladino reported that Amazon is indeed discussing its options for the property.
“For too long, this property has been the subject of debate due to concerns over increased student enrollment, over development and density, as well as increased traffic,” the supervisor said. “This proposal alleviates those concerns and has the least traffic impact of any proposal we’ve seen to date.”
Amazon will not require zoning changes to the property. However, the firm still needs to submit a full proposal to the Town of Oyster Bay.
“We await their official submission,” Saladino said. “From what we know, this proposal will fit within the current zoning requirements and not require any variances.”
Since Amazon came under fire for the Long Island City proposal due to its tax incentives, as well as a helipad for CEO Jeff Bezos, it branched out to Long Island. The company has two warehouses in Bethpage. The Carle Place facility’s construction started earlier this year.
A major benefit to this location is that it is not in a residential area. The property surrounds the Oyster Bay Public Works Department and the Oyster Bay Animal Shelter, just off Robbins Lane.
