Across the country, massive last-mile delivery and fulfillment centers are popping up on real estate where previously developers might have built office parks or shopping centers. Now the economics clearly favor warehouses, and the real estate industry is taking notice.
Nothing speaks to this more than what is happening in central Arkansas. Amazon is currently leasing 247,058 SF in the former Jacuzzi plant in Southwest Little Rock and 25,000 SF in Maumelle, both for last-mile delivery. The company also has two fulfillment centers under construction. In May of 2020, Amazon closed on a $3.2M land purchase in the Little Rock Port resulting in the announcement of a 3.8M SF fulfillment, and simultaneously started construction on a 1 million SF fulfillment center in NLR.
Jason Parker, Vice President of Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners, represented Amazon on the lease transactions as well as the land transactions to purchase 80 acres in the Port of Little Rock and 113 acres in North Little Rock. Our team recently toured the 1 million SF fulfillment center and learned some fun facts:
- The new Amazon facility is 1 million SF; or
- almost 23 acres under one roof; or
- 39 football fields.
- 53,700 cubic yards of concrete used; or
- enough to build a walking trail 165 miles long, 5’ wide, and 4” thick from North Little Rock to Eureka Springs.
- 60,000 tons of asphalt used; or
- 2857 truckloads; or
- enough to build 15 miles of highway.
- 9,514 tons of steel used; or
- 240 truckloads; or
- enough to build the Eiffel Tower (if it were composed of steel rather than iron).
- 1,500 jobs created (between both facilities):
- 2,150 total employees.
- Will elevate Amazon to one of the top employers in Central Arkansas.
- The seventh-largest private employer in Central Arkansas.
The magnitude of this project is a little hard to grasp. A spokesperson for the Little Rock Chamber said they can’t even recall anyone trying to hire more than 600 people. There are concerns about filling that many positions, but Amazon is working closely with the Chamber using various, and nontraditional platforms to spread the word.
Hiring for both the Port of Little Rock and North Little Rock facilities is reported to begin in late May with anticipated starting dates of summer 2021.
More information:
Amazon’s Massive Distribution Network in One Giant Visualization
Amazon set to fill 1,500 jobs in Little Rock area
Sage Little Rock team touring the 1M SF North Little Rock facility.
