The huge Internet retailer Amazon is one step closer to building a fulfillment center in Ruskin. Hillsborough County Commissioners approved Wednesday a set of tax incentives to bring the company here.
Amazon is promising 1,000 jobs for Hillsborough County, with 375 of those being higher wage positions making an average of more than $47,000.
Hillsborough County Commissioners decided the new jobs will be worth the incentive of $225,000.
Commissioner Sandra Murman likened the Amazon deal to a business hurricane. "It can really give us that long term that we need," she said, "and this will be feeder bands, you know we talk a lot of about hurricanes, this is our hurricane because the feeder bands that will come off of this will be unbelievable."
If Amazon comes to Florida, residents of the Sunshine State will have to pay a six percent sales tax on all merchandise bought through the retailer.
Commissioner Ken Hagan says this deal is great for the region.
"We should be very proud that Hillsborough County has led the state job creation over the last year," he said, "and opportunities like Amazon are the reason why our employment rate is below the state's."
Commissioners will hold a public hearing in July to discuss cutting Amazon's property taxes by 50 percent for seven years once the center is up and running.
