Amazon to build $16M+ distribution center in Amherst

Amazon.com Services has selected Amherst County for the site of a $16 million-plus, 78,000-square-foot distribution center, which county officials say will bring dozens of local jobs to the region.

The county’s economic development authority announced this week that Amazon has purchased the largest lot in the Amelon Commerce Center — a 120-acre industrial park mostly owned by the EDA. The EDA sold the 26-acre site to Amazon in late August.

“We are excited to welcome this internationally recognized company to the Amelon Commerce Center,” said Victoria Hanson, executive director of the EDA, in a statement. “Amazon’s decision to invest in Amherst County and the Lynchburg region highlights the strength of our economy and the advantages of our transportation network.”

The EDA graded the site in 2023 using local funds in combination with a grant from the state’s GO Virginia economic development program. In addition to creating jobs, the EDA says the site will support efforts to “provide fast delivery and great service to the region.”

Amazon declined to provide project specifics or an estimated timeline, with a spokesperson saying more details will be shared at a later time.

Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $135 billion in Virginia, including infrastructure and compensation to employees, and has created more than 42,000 full and part-time jobs.

In other news regarding the Amelon Commerce Center, Hanson says the EDA is still looking for tenants or purchasers for a 45,000-square-foot spec shell building the county finished building in December 2024. The building, which is still vacant, could be occupied by up to four tenants and rests on an 11.5-acre site within the industrial park.