Amazon is expanding into Virginia Beach.

It's not quite the company's second headquarters, like the city was angling for a few years back, but the company plans to break ground this year on a major two-part shipping center that includes a multi-story robotics fulfillment center and delivery station.

"We see Amazon’s expanding footprint impacting economic growth and innovation across the Commonwealth, and we will continue to compete for additional investment in Virginia," Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a press release announcing the expansion.

Lindsay Winter heads Virginia Public Policy for the online retail giant. Monday, she was standing in a Virginia Beach field with an Amazon banner hanging behind her and jets flying overhead.

Winter said the massive robotic fulfillment center Amazon plans for the site will stand out in Virginia Beach, but not just for its size.

“It promises not just jobs, but a ripple effect of growth for local businesses and the broader community," she said.

The delivery station is expected to launch in time for the 2024 holiday season. The robotics fulfillment center is scheduled to open in 2025.

Speculation that the online mega-retailer was behind the facility has swirled for months, as it worked its way through city planning and zoning through a third-party developer. Google Maps even has a pin at the location with the label "Future Amazon Fulfillment Center."

The facility is located south of Naval Air Station Oceana on what is now farmland on either side of Dam Neck Road.

The city of Virginia Beach voted in August to spend $22.5 million to build a new road and improve infrastructure around the site to lure Amazon. According to the city's estimates, the real estate taxes generated from the 3.2 million square foot facility will fund those improvements.

Youngkin said the robotics facility will create more than 1,000 jobs in the city. City documents said those employees will make an average of $17 an hour, and note the total number employed could reach 2,000 once both facilities are up and running. That includes non-Amazon staff employed by third parties, Amazon officials told WHRO.

Both Youngkin and Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer cited the growth and proximity to the Port of Virginia as a major factor in attracting the $350 million investment. They also noted the city's large, skilled workforce. 

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly cited the number of staff Amazon expects to employ at the Virginia Beach facilities. The company itself will employ 1,100 full-time staff. Hundreds more referred to in city documents will be third-party employers.

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