Unions Back $607M Amazon Project
In Orange for Massive Robotic Plant
SLATE HILL, NY—What was labeled the largest private industrial development project ever in Orange County is now in the approval process in the Town of Wawayanda, and the stakes are high for the local building trades.
The $607-million project by a partnership of Scannell Properties of Indianapolis, IN and Amazon Services, LLC, calls for the construction of a 3.2-million-s/f Amazon robotic distribution center in Slate Hill. The plan is now before the Wawaynada Planning Board and the Orange County Industrial Development Agency.
While the proposal has received some opposition over potential traffic and environmental impacts that have been identified, the plan has also garnered the support of business groups like The Orange County Partnership and local unions of the Hudson Valley Building & Construction Trades Council.
Now in the SEQRA study stage, the Wawayanda Planning Board is scheduled to discuss the proposal at its June 11 session. A day earlier on June 10 a public hearing is scheduled by the Orange County IDA to hear input on proposed incentives the project would receive if approved.
Among the project highlights are:
• Construction of a five-story facility with each floor consisting of approximately 600,000 s/f of space.
• The completed facility will create at least 750 new jobs within three years of completion of construction, according to IDA documents from the partnership.
Hudson Valley Building & Construction Trades Council President L. Todd Diorio said that to secure IDA incentives, the developer must adhere to the IDA’s local labor policy that requires at least 85% local labor work on the project. He told CONSTRUCTION NEWS that he fully expects the project to be built predominately by union tradesmen, and that initial contracts already let appear to be going to union contractors. He estimated the development will result in more than 1 million construction man hours to complete the facility.
Mr. Diorio stated that the proposal is the largest industrial project in memory and exceeds the LEGOLAND New York project in Goshen, NY in terms of investment. He estimated the Amazon facility will entail approximately $500 million in construction activity. A large contingent of members of the building trades have attended public hearings on the project and will continue to do so, he noted.
By John Jordan
Published: June 3, 2025