Seattle-based online retailer Amazon has requested a tax abatement from Harris County to construct a warehouse and fulfillment center on Beltway 8 with the potential to bring 1,000 new full-time jobs to the area.[/caption]Seattle-based online retailer Amazon has requested a tax abatement from Harris County to construct a warehouse and fulfillment center on Beltway 8 with the potential to bring 1,000 new full-time jobs to the area.
Harris County Commissioner’s Court approved a public hearing date of June 28 for the proposal, which would designate a reinvestment zone for Amazon and Houston-based Pinto Realty Development for 71 acres at the 971-acre Pinto Business Park, located at Beltway 8 and I-45 North.
“To have an Amazon interested in this development is really huge for this area and certainly would be a welcome addition,” said Paula Lenz, executive director for the North Houston Association. “It would bode well for the whole Greenspoint area.”
According to a county project summary, Amazon’s proposed 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center would include warehouse and distribution space with a total construction cost of $136 million. The tax abatement would affect the $82 million in value added to the property.
The proposal calls for an abatement of 65 percent of the property tax revenue on the $82 million for 10 years beginning Jan. 1, 2017. This would represent an estimated $179,073 in annual property tax revenue. The current annual tax revenue received by the county from the property is $61,012, but that annual revenue will grow to $393,314 after the abatement if Amazon builds there, according to county documents.
Over the 10 years, Harris County would receive more than $3.3 million from the added value of the property.
The project summary states the facility would be intended to serve a market outside the Greater Houston area with 80 percent of the inventory destined for locations at least 100 miles outside of Harris County.
The report identified alternate sites considered for the facility, including Haslet—located near Fort Worth—and San Marcos.
If approved, construction could begin in the fall, according to the project summary.
In addition to 1,000 new, full-time jobs, the facility also could provide part-time temporary and seasonal jobs, according to the county documents. Salary ranges are listed for associates, who would earn $23,000 to $30,000 per year, and managers, who would earn $70,000 or more.
A public hearing will be held at 9 a.m. June 28 at the Harris County Commissioners Courtroom, 1001 Preston Ave., 9th floor, Houston.
