With Lake Nona continuing to be the fastest developing area in the region, it is no surprise that businesses from all across the United States are looking to get in on the development in and around the Lake Nona area, including international powerhouse Amazon.

Amazon has announced their plans to build a new fulfillment center right here in Lake Nona. The facility will be located at the intersection of Boggy Creek Road and Jeff Fuqua Boulevard just south of Orlando International Airport. The project is being developed in a partnership between Seefried Industrial Properties and an affiliate of USAA Real Estate Company. The facility, opening in 2018, will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, such as Amazon Robotics, a collection of orange robots that work with employees to help move merchandise and fulfill orders. Lake Nona’s facility will start by housing and delivering small items, such as books, electronics and consumer goods.

The building is set to look similar to the fulfillment center in Lakeland, constructed like a normal warehouse but with the kind of technological and robotic flare that only Amazon can provide. The technological advancements for the new Lake Nona facility will be intermingled with more than 1,500 new employees for the company, bringing the total number of Amazon employees in Florida to 9,000. These new employees will be hired from the Lake Nona area and surrounding parts of Southeast Orlando, stimulating local job growth and economic advancement.

Amazon is now listed as the fifth most valuable company in the world, and with that kind of title, employees for the new Lake Nona facility will not run short on benefits from working with the online shopping giant. Full-time employees will receive benefits such as health insurance, a retirement savings plan, 20 weeks of paid parental leave and tuition reimbursement in fields related to Amazon, such as game design, nursing and IT programming, among others.

The 850,000-square-foot fulfillment center will be built on 130 acres of land used for both employee and truck parking, as well as the facility as a whole, with the potential to expand an additional 2.4 million square feet. This project has coincided with the expansion of Boggy Creek Road, as Amazon will increase traffic in the area with trucks for delivery and employee commutes. The development of this new facility is a big win for the Lake Nona area.

With regards to past Amazon expansion projects, the economies in the areas surrounding the new facilities have seen significant increase in not only the work force but the general health of the local economy. According to The Wall Street Journal, the online shopping giant saw annual revenue top $100 billion last year, proving that Americans are favoring online shopping now more than ever before.

Not only will this be a significant addition to the current family of Lake Nona businesses, but also to the surrounding Orlando area. “This is a huge win for Central Florida and a wonderful opportunity for our entire community, including the 1,500 employees who will join the Amazon team and all those who will benefit from Amazon’s well-known commitment to the local community,” said Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs.

Amazon’s selection of the Lake Nona area for their new facility further enhances the innovative, modern and cutting-edge reputation that the Nonahood strives to uphold.

“Lake Nona is a community focused on the future. From high tech to healthcare, we are developing new innovations to change our world.  Amazon will find Lake Nona a good fit and keep our region moving forward,” said Congressman Darren Soto.