Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon confirmed Friday that it will convert the former Kmart store on Wilson Road into a “last-mile delivery station” as part of a $20 million renovation project expected to create 200 new jobs when the facility becomes operational later this year.
The project elicited praise from city officials who view it as a community asset sure to improve service to residents while also beautifying what some have described as blighted property along a major commercial corridor in south Bakersfield.
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“This innovative local facility means our community gets even better service when they order their packages online,” Mayor Karen Goh said in a news release sent out Friday. “This announcement also lets business leaders know that Bakersfield welcomes industries and innovators ready to grow and expand in California.”
The news release contained no comment from Amazon, which in recent months has declined to address the project.
Last summer the company opened a massive distribution “fulfillment” center just north of Meadows Field Airport. Since then it has announced plans for another such facility in Shafter. Each of those two projects is expected to employ 1,000 full- and part-time employees.
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