Amazon eyes Industry City for new logistics facility: report

Amazon’s decision to ditch Long Island City for its second North American headquarters doesn’t seem to have affected the tech giant’s desire to expand in NYC. The company has reportedly scoped out office space in Midtown West, and now, Crain’s reports that it may be looking to Brooklyn for a last-mile logistics facility—specifically, at or near Industry City.

Citing “sources familiar with the company’s search,” Crain’s says that Amazon may be looking to rent 1 million square feet of space, but that number could increase. The company already operates a more than 850,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Staten Island, located on the borough’s western shore; it also plans to open a more than 120,000-square-foot distribution center in Hunts Point in the South Bronx.

Industrial neighborhoods in Brooklyn are increasingly being eyed for so-called “last-mile distribution”—where packages are sorted and ferried to consumers—thanks to an abundance of warehouse buildings that can easily be converted. Camera Obscura columnist Nathan Kensinger recently explored this trend in Red Hook, where Dov Hertz’s DH Property Holdings is building several last-mile warehouses in old industrial buildings.

A potential Amazon deal could throw another wrench in the proposed rezoning of Industry City, which has sparked a fight over gentrification vs. modernization in the largely working-class neighborhood. Earlier this year, the city delayed kicking off its lengthy land-use review process in the area due to those tensions.

The players behind Industry City, however, would not meaningfully comment on the potential deal.

“While it’s clear that a number of entities are looking to satisfy their ‘last mile’ needs in Brooklyn, we decline to comment on any specific negotiations Industry City might be having,” Lisa Serbaniewicz, a spokesperson for Industry City, said in a statement.