Amazon is planning to bring one of its biggest U.S. facilities in the Southeast to the Tampa Bay area.
The online retail giant plans to build a $17 million center on the northwest side of Lakeland Linder International Airport.
City Communications Director Kevin Cook said the economic impact will be significant, as Amazon expects to hire between 800 and 1,000 new employees.
Cook said the city was able to keep the negotiations secret.
"They've been working on it since 2017 and we've been able to keep it under wraps for that long, so it's amazing," he said.
Amazon will receive state and local incentives of $3,000 for each of the estimated 75 higher-paying jobs the cargo center will bring, for a total of $225,000.
Cook said the new facility is expected to go up quickly.
"It's slated for construction to start in July and they said they will be up and running within a year after starting construction,” said Cook.
The Lakeland City Commission is expected to approve an agreement to lease the property to Amazon at its meeting Monday.
