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In 2023, Amazon introduced a new fulfillment center. Since its installation, the people of Tallahassee have began to get online orders faster and local retail sales have dropped.

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Despite months of delays, hiring efforts are slowly ramping up to fill 1,000 jobs projected at Amazon's fulfillment center in Tallahassee - even as the company grapples with national companywide layoffs.

On Monday, CEO Andy Jassy alerted employees of its plans to eliminate 9,000 jobs from its cloud computing units, advertising, human resources and Twitch in a letter, according to USA TODAY. The announcement is the second round of layoffs in recent months.

In Tallahassee, even as the company sustained revenue hits, Amazon spent the last two years building the exterior shell at warp speed. Progress slowed down considerably once the 2.8-million-square-foot fulfillment center was built out. Amazon experienced supply chain issues for construction parts and endured a decline in consumer demand tied to an economic downturn.
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The mega warehouse is estimated to cost at least $200 million - the largest private sector investment in Tallahassee's history. Amazon is slated to spur an overall $451 million total economic impact in Tallahassee.

The retail behemoth, which initially aimed to open late last year, now says it plans to open the capital city site in late 2023. The tech giant began advertising for the first wave of high-level job openings in the last week. Owen Torres, a spokesman for Amazon, said the company is in the early stages of building its hiring and leadership team.

"As we get closer to opening later this year, we will work with local partners and community organizations to host career fairs in the area to help fill more than 1,000 hourly jobs," Torres said.
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The jobs pay a minimum starting salary of $15 per hour. Some of the jobs advertised include an area manager, operations manager and technical trainer. Of the 1,000 jobs, OEV reported 50 to 100 will be management positions.

Newly hired as an area manager at Amazon, Donovan Givens shared his new career move on Facebook.

"It is also an honor to be a part of Amazon history as one of their first area managers at their new facility In Tallahassee, Florida," said Givens, adding thanks for various mentors who pushed and made the opportunity possible. "My God is a good God."

It's not clear how Amazon will impact Tallahassee's workforce environment since many businesses and organizations say they've experienced a talent gap for qualified job candidates with skills to match open jobs.

However, once the fulfilment center is operational, it stands to pay a record amount in property taxes to Leon County.

Property records indicate Amazon purchased the 118-acre parcel on Aug. 6, 2021. Its first tax payment of $4,100.95 took place in 2021, followed by $217,133.63 last year - representing a fraction of what's anticipated to be paid.

A spokesperson with the Leon County Property Appraisers Office said improvements to the property, specifically the construction of the high-tech robotic equipment, will be reflected in the 2024 tax roll and based upon the project becoming substantially complete for its intended use as a fulfilment center by Jan. 1, 2024.

At this time, officials at the Office of Economic Vitality and the Property Appraisers Office couldn't provide an estimate on projected revenue slated to be generated from Amazon's facility.
Contact Reporter TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter.
Last year, a series by the USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida found local governments across the state have generated millions in property tax revenue. For example, the taxable value on a 211-acre parcel in Daytona Beach shot up from $49,168 to $11,599,157 once Amazon took possession of the property for its 2.8 million square foot distribution center.

And once the facility is built, the taxable value is expected to again soar to more than $100 million, generating property taxes well in excess of $1 million.

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Amazon hiring begins slowly for mega Tallahassee warehouse; property tax payday on horizon

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Once the fulfilment center is operational, it stands to pay a record amount in property taxes to Leon County.

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With the internet expanding at the beginning of the 21st century, companies and new corporations began to sell goods and services online. Buyers will start to get hooked to the idea not having to go to a mall.

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This image of Governors Square Mall is a great depiction of this Tallahassee mall in its prime. Tallahassee's small town community used this mall as an outlet to main big city stores.

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“Governor’s Square.” Edited by MapQuest, Mapquest.Com, 2023, www.mapquest.com/us/florida/governor-s-square-303942411.

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Thomas, Deborah. Interior view of the Governor's Square Mall west wing looking toward JCPenney - Tallahassee, Florida. 1984. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Accessed 27 Jul. 2023. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/112625