LAKELAND, Fla. — Amazon wants to build a new 225,000-square foot cargo handling facility in Lakeland, and it could bring an estimated 1,000 jobs with it, according to the city.
Gene Conrad, the director of the Lakeland Linder International Airport, says Amazon first called him in 2017 about the proposed idea. Amazon wants lease a 110-acre piece of land and build a seven-jet cargo hanger on it. The lease could last up to 50 years, according to the City of Lakeland.
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The new facility is estimated to bring between 800 to 1,000 jobs to the area. According to the city, the facility would be Amazon's largest in the southeast U.S.
"This is a game changer for the airport," Conrad said at the meeting. He asked city commissioners to approve the deal with Amazon when they meet on May 20.
If approved, the city says construction is set to state on July 3 and will be completed in about a year.
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“This is a game changer for the airport,” an emotional Airport Director Gene Conrad says. #lkld pic.twitter.com/j6guUWxMTP
— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) May 17, 2019
