District’s quick action helps bring 1,500 jobs to the Jacksonville area
PALATKA, Fla., Sept. 29, 2016 — More than 1,000 jobs are headed to northeast Florida after Amazon announces the opening of its new fulfillment center. The St. Johns River Water Management District supported the move by quickly assessing and issuing environmental resource permits (ERP) for the 105-acre warehouse facility. The applicant and district employees remained committed to working collaboratively through the permitting process to achieve this positive result.
“By opening lines of communication with district technical staff, potential permitting obstacles are addressed early and keep small problems from becoming big problems,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “We worked through technical challenges together over the course of several weeks and by the time the applicant submitted the formal application for the project, we were able to issue a permit in just a matter of days. By working through the permitting process thoroughly and expeditiously, we are supporting businesses looking to grow in the Sunshine State while also protecting water resources.”
Published reports state that the $200 million distribution center will bring 1,500 jobs to Jacksonville over the next four years.
The permit issued by the district involved a redesign of a stormwater management system to accommodate the 105-acre warehouse on a vacant site located at I-295 and Duval Road.