Amazon today announced plans to open a new fulfillment center in Orlando, Fla. When the site opens in 2018, Amazon will create 1,500 new full-time jobs with benefits and opportunities to engage with Amazon Robotics in a highly technological workplace.

“We are excited to join the Orlando community, creating more than 1,500 full-time jobs at our new fulfillment center,” said Akash Chauhan, Amazon’s vice president of North America operations. “We very much appreciate the state and local elected leaders who have supported Amazon’s arrival in Orlando and we look forward to bringing more jobs and investment to the state in the coming months.”

Amazon employees at the more than 850,000 square-foot fulfillment center located at Lake Nona will pick, pack and ship small items to customers like books, electronics or consumer goods.

The project is located at the intersection of Boggy Creek Road and Jeff Fuqua Boulevard just south of Orlando International Airport.

“We are bullish on attracting well-respected, global brands like KPMG and Amazon to Lake Nona,” said Jim Zboril, President of Tavistock Development Company. “Lake Nona has positioned itself nationwide as an ideal location, offering a collaborative approach, innovative amenities, and infrastructure. We have a strong business development team that is out there every day competing against some of the nation’s top metropolitan markets. Lake Nona’s neo-urban location coupled with our innovative vision creates a compelling backdrop for companies looking for that next great place to call home.”

Since Tavistock’s initial acquisition of Lake Nona years ago, Tavistock has continued to partner with government to fast track the development of key infrastructure projects in Southeast Orlando/Orange County, from the construction of the Lake Nona Blvd/SR 417 interchange to the major expansion of Narcoossee Road, regional parks and more. In early 2017, Tavistock Development Company advanced plans with Orange County to expand Boggy Creek Road to accommodate this project. Tavistock Development Company will oversee the construction of these improvements.

Infrastructure work and roadway improvements (widen Boggy Creek from 2-4 lanes), which Tavistock Development is overseeing, already began last week.

“We have always said that Lake Nona is a long-term project for us – a marathon and not a sprint,” Zboril said. “Every step of our development is carefully contemplated and thoughtfully designed for the future – the future of cities perhaps. We are creating the ideal place that inspires human potential through innovative collaboration. This bold vision drives everything that we do, every day. We are tenacious.”

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