One of the world’s biggest companies will officially have a presence in Belleville soon.
After many months of unconfirmed rumblings, multinational e-commerce giant Amazon will be making a home at a new warehouse located in the city’s Industrial Park, as announced by Mayor Neil Ellis at the Belleville Chamber of Commerce’s annual breakfast meeting at The Grand Banquet Hall on Wednesday.
The new facility is expected to employ between 800 and 1,000 people, estimated last year by city officials.
Construction on the one-million square foot facility began in July 2022 and is ongoing.
Development company Broccolini purchased the site for a little more than $4 million, and constructed the first leg of the Belleville East Arterial Road (BEAR) that will eventually connect the site to the new highway 401 interchange.
“This construction has had significant economic growth, not only in the construction phase, but moving forward,” Ellis expressed to the large gathering.
In introducing Amazon’s Canadian manager of economic development policy Brooks Barnett, Ellis noted they had a lengthy conversation this week and is coming out of it confident that the company will be planting roots in the community in the months and years ahead.
“As unique as this facility will be to our city, you’ve told me that there’s the uniqueness to a facility like this in Canada,” he said while addressing Barnett.
“We’re excited to learn more in the coming months.”
Ellis says the building should be ready to go by the fall and thanked the Quinte Economic Development Commission for having a hand in bringing the company to town.
The announcement, which included a ceremonial presentation of an Amazon package to Ellis to mark the occasion, was part of the mayor’s annual State of the City Address.
It included information on servicing other industrial land for things such as the old fairground site development, and high-density apartment buildings holding 80 to 100 units to keep up with the city’s population growth.
“We have, I believe just over 20 acres to service,” he said.
“It’s exciting what staff have presented so far on a plan to make the best land usage in the area.”
A big push is on for healthcare recruitment as well, with Ellis crediting former economic development manager Karen Poste for making key connections in and outside the Quinte region to advance this sector.
Recently, Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith announced increased funding for two additional nurse practitioners, 1.5 administration positions, a registered nurse and a social worker.
“This should allot for about 2,000 to 3,000 patients that will have some type of primary healthcare,” he said.
The goal moving forward is to address that matter, plus the housing crisis.
Ellis said it will be crucial to support Hastings County and the Eastern Ontario Warden’s Caucus with its “7 in 7″ plan which aims to create 7,000 affordable housing units in 7 years in Eastern Ontario.
Ellis also outlined the approved 2023 city budgets and praised council for working together to whittle the tax increase to a little more than three-per cent without cutting or decreasing necessary services.
Attendance at the monthly chamber breakfast was a record 183 people.
