With no beaches, lakes or mountains, Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell says Greenfield and Hancock County have to get creative when drawing new businesses. The creativity has paid off as Amazon is coming to Hancock County.
Ambrose Property Group is building a more than 660,000-square foot facility along Mt. Comfort Road in Hancock County. The facility will rest on 166 acres of land on the north side of West County Road 300 North and west of North County Road 400 West.
Amazon intends to use the building as an e-commerce fulfillment and distribution center and will be the first of four buildings and an overall $78 million investment. Upwards of one thousand jobs could come as a result. Ambrose Property Group is also building three other buildings on the site, which will serve as a combination of large and smaller buildings aimed at attracted businesses.
“It feels really great to be a part of the announcement. While it is not being located in the city limits of Greenfield, it is a victory for the entire county and will help continue to make Greenfield a vibrant city. People will need places to live, eat and stay as a result of Amazon coming to Hancock County, and we will be ready to offer those things,” Fewell told Giant FM.
Fewell said the announcement of Amazon will serve as a catalyst not only for the county, but for various projects across the county, many of which were made possible by the Health and Heritage Region earning the Stellar Community Grant in 2018. The Health and Heritage Region consisted of Fortville and Greenfield.
“What we have to do is we need to connect the entire county with amenities. We need to connect the entire county with trails. This news expedites us to build amenities,” Fewell said.
State Senator Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, said the news was “exciting.”
“I am thrilled any time a business chooses a location in central Indiana, and, in particular, one of the counties I represent because I know it means more employment opportunities for the people I represent. These will be good paying jobs with a growing company, so this is a huge win for our economic development folks,” Crider told Giant FM.
The Amazon facility is just another huge company that has put down roots in Hancock County, Fewell said, pointing also to BeijingWest Industries, which opened its first U.S. production facility last year in Greenfield. In addition, Hancock Regional Health recently opened its Hancock Gateway Park on Mt. Comfort Road near I-70, on over 100 acres aimed at attracting corporate and retail uses.
With that said, Fewell notes it will be tough to fill all the jobs Amazon expects to bring.
“It’ll be tough, but we have to come up with other ideas and avenues to attract these people. It is a good problem to have. We want people to live, stay and play here. We have four new subdivisions going in, but all over Hancock County will benefit and experience greatness,” Fewell said.
Last October, the Hancock County Council approved a 10-year tax abatement on all four buildings. One month later, Ambrose Property Group broke ground on the first building, which will house Amazon.
