Great news Quad Cities! We will soon have an Amazon facility in the QC and it will be built in Davenport. In a press conference on Wednesday, city and Amazon officials announced the great news that has been in the works for quite some time. It will be the second robotics fulfillment center in the state of Iowa creating 1,000 new full-time jobs that will provide employees with at least $16 per hour and comprehensive benefits.

In a press release and conference on Wednesday, Amazon announced it will build a 640,000 square-foot robotics fulfillment center in Davenport that will create 1,000 new full-time jobs when operational. The center will be located on 158 acres in the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center along Interstate 80. Crews already are doing site work in preparation for construction to begin later this summer. The site is expected to launch in 2022.

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Caitlin Polochak, regional PR manager for Amazon said,

“We are excited to continue our investment in the state of Iowa and look forward to creating 1,000 new, full-time jobs. The site will help us continue to serve customers with great delivery options. We appreciate the support from state and local leaders who have made Amazon's growth in Iowa possible.”

Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said in the press release and during the news conference,

“The City of Davenport is excited to welcome Amazon to the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center. Their investment in our community shows that Davenport is the ideal place for companies to locate and grow businesses. We look forward to this project adding to the vibrancy of our local economy.”

Workforce

Amazon employees will pick, pack, and ship smaller customer items such as books, toys, electronics, and other household items.

On top of Amazon’s industry-leading minimum starting wage, full-time employees receive comprehensive benefits, including full medical, vision, and dental insurance as well as a 401(k) with 50% company match. The health and safety of employees is Amazon’s number one priority—and has been since day one.

With a 1,000-person workforce, Amazon will become one of the Quad Cities region’s Top 15 employers, in terms of the number of jobs.

How the project developed

The project began when a site selection firm contacted the Quad Cities Chamber in November 2020 seeking sites in the bi-state region for an unnamed client, said Paul Rumler, President & CEO of the Chamber.

Rumler said,

“After one of the region’s potential sites was selected, the Chamber connected the project with the appropriate city, state, and other resources. It takes many partners to assist a project of this magnitude and this is a perfect example of how great collaboration works.”

Rumler said several factors led Amazon to choose the Quad Cities. He continued on,

“They were attracted by the region’s central Midwest location, the easy access to their customers via our interstates, the availability of a large greenfield site ready for immediate construction, and access to a laborshed of 743,000 individuals including a pipeline of workers with the skill sets needed for their operation."

City of Davenport, Iowa
City of Davenport, Iowa
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Site development

Seefried Industrial Properties, Inc., based in Atlanta, is the project developer. Seefried acquired the land from the GDRC and retained Ryan Companies as the general contractor for the project.

Jason Gordon, Chair of the Greater Davenport Redevelopment Corporation said in the press release,

"The board of the Greater Davenport Redevelopment Corporation has known for years that the key to landing a project of this magnitude was contingent on us securing an option to purchase the property from the Shriners Hospitals for Children (Shriners). I want to thank our board members and our Executive Director Roy Wennlund for keeping this priority at the forefront, and for successfully negotiating with the Shriners."

Gordon applauded Shriners for their support and the extra efforts by their staff and management. He continued by saying,

“This transaction was a ‘win-win,’ in that, it enables Shriners to further their mission of providing care to sick children while providing GDRC with a property that will be developed by Amazon and provide jobs and economic growth for many years to come"

The City of Davenport has agreed to upgrade street infrastructure leading to the project site as well as make improvements surrounding the area to accommodate the increase in vehicular and industrial traffic.

To assist with the estimated $3.9 million in road improvements, the City applied to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Revitalizing Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) grant program. Roadway improvements include:

  • Reconstruction and new turning lanes on north Division Street adjacent to the project site.
  • Intersection improvements at Hillandale Road & Research Parkway with the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center.
  • Intersection improvements at the center’s entrance at Northwest Boulevard & Hillandale Road.
  • Intersection improvements at Northwest Boulevard & West 76th Street.

The RISE grant will cover 60% of the cost; the City anticipates using general fund and bonds abated by tax increment financing (TIF) funds to cover its 40% required contribution of approximately $780,000.

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