New Valley Amazon warehouse aims to bring faster deliveries

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new Amazon warehouse is expected to be up and running in Fresno by the end of the year.

The facility is being described as a 'last mile' warehouse, helping get all those goodies we buy to our homes.

The goal is to get products to your doorstep faster, and residents welcome the new warehouse and the jobs it will bring.

The new location will be built on Clovis and Olive avenues where the former Sunnyside Drive-in used to be, and it's expected to operate 24/7 and employ about 550 people.

"I think it's a great opportunity, it's an organization that supplies jobs for skilled workers as well as unskilled workers," said Trent Walley, Lead Pastor of Harmony Church.

This new facility will focus on delivery operations. The so-called "last mile" items will arrive at the new Clovis building from Amazon warehouses around the nation and quickly be sorted for delivery to customers.

From there, it's into Amazon vans or in some cases, private contractors who use their own vehicles for deliveries like Instacart or DoorDash.

It all adds up to faster shipping for customers and also potentially more traffic on the roads, but neighboring churches say it shouldn't be a problem.

"Most of their in and out traffic is going to be on Olive, which is already a four-lane with a center turn lane in it, so the infrastructure is there," explained Walley.

The Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board has worked with Amazon before, and they expect an influx of interest once the warehouse is closer to completion.

"We have a lot of businesses talking about labor shortage. I definitely would say that this is a really good time for folks that may be on the fence about whether or not they should apply," said Martha Espinosa, Marketing and Grant Manager with the Fresno Workforce Development Board.

With orders and demand not expected to slow down, positions that may not have been an option for some before are now becoming vacant.

"Now they are trying to get it there even faster, so people, they want it now. Even though they are ordering it online, it's nice to have it now," added Walley.

"A lot of companies are providing opportunities for folks that may not have qualified for certain jobs, so I would definitely say, throw your hat in the ring," said Espinosa.

Amazon did not want to comment on this project just yet, telling Action News to expect an announcement in the coming weeks.