A year after it was passed, construction has yet to begin on what would be one of Amazon’s largest warehouse and distribution centers in the U.S.
The village of Cottage Grove and retail giant say the $200 million project is still a go for Dane County.
Unanimously approved by village of Cottage Grove officials in February 2022, Amazon, with developer Trammell Crow Company, plans to build a 3.4 million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center at the intersection of highways TT and N just north of Interstate 94.
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Trammell Crow is one of the country’s biggest commercial real estate developers and has been behind several other Amazon projects around the country.
Once erected on the 145-acre site, the five-story building will employ roughly 1,500 people and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week as a “middle mile” facility. That means trucks would take items from the facility to other distribution centers, where vans would carry them to customers.
The building is expected to have 60 loading docks, 326 trailer parking stalls and roughly 1,700 parking stalls for employees and visitors. About 90,000 square feet of the center will be office space.
Construction on the warehouse drew opposition a year ago from some Cottage Grove residents but praise from local economic experts. Some Cottage Grove residents raised concerns about the size of the project, as well as increased traffic and noise and light pollution, while business leaders touted the project as a financial boon and jobs creator for the county.
“We’re committed to opening a facility in the village of Cottage Grove and look forward to working with the community and other partners to launch this site,” Amazon spokesperson Alisa Carroll wrote in an email. “Planning is underway, and we’ll share more as soon as the construction timeline is set.”
When asked about headlines that sprang up last fall in Bloomberg and other major news outlets saying Amazon was abandoning warehouse projects around the country while closing other facilities, Carroll said “we’re constantly evaluating our network based on business needs and to improve the experience for our employees, customers, partners and drivers.”
“As part of that effort, we may close older sites, enhance existing facilities, or open new sites,” she said, adding that in January, Amazon opened two new fulfillment centers in the Midwest, and since 2020 has added more than 350 “new modern facilities to our network in the U.S. alone.”
Matt Giese, village of Cottage Grove administrator, said in an email that the municipality remains in regular communication with the developer and Amazon on the warehouse project, which is located in a 300-acre tax incremental financing district — meaning the warehouse is eligible to receive tax assistance from the village to get built.
“We anticipate they will commence construction at some point this year,” Giese wrote. “The next step would be for Amazon to enter into a development agreement. We foresee the agreement being considered by the board in the coming months and for Amazon/Trammell Crow to pursue building permits in the months following approval of the agreement.”
A development agreement, Giese explained, “memorializes” the village approvals the warehouse project received last year for its concept and design. It could also include negotiations for tax assistance, he said.
Last year, Cottage Grove officials said Amazon had not yet sought said assistance, and it’s unclear whether that will change. But Amazon has made national headlines in the past for requesting hefty tax incentives.
State Journal reporter Barry Adams contributed to this report.
Emilie Heidemann picks her 5 favorite 2022 stories
"The storm will abate, and the sun will rise again."
That was a quote I read recently. It's was written by a renowned psychiatrist who actually practices locally.
It's hard not to get caught in the throes of all the headlines and wonder what the world is coming to. Even for me – an anxious and introverted pessimist-who-is-secretly-an-optimist with high hopes that, while the world may seem bleak at times, things will eventually get better.
There are still pockets of joy even in the deepest pits of fire.
I never envisioned that my journalism career would entail weathering an ongoing pandemic whose affects are likely to be felt for decades to come. For one story this year, I drove for miles as cars lined up outside a pharmacy waiting for a COVID-19 test amid a shortage caused by the omicron variant.
Eventually, that shortage eased. And more is now known about the once mystery virus that had everyone fearing an apocalypse was imminent.
Soon after, with a colleague and friend, we highlighted the problems plaguing Wisconsin's childcare industry as exacerbated by pandemic.
Since then, various organizations have sought ways to better support parents and providers with more work to be done. Sometimes, it takes work to make things better.
I covered the city of Madison's effort to better support businesses owned by people of color last spring. I recall one of my sources texting to tell me I had created "art" once the story published. Efforts continue.
Additionally, I wrote about how a local uptick in unionization rates (that's continuing by the way) was reflective of a national trend, and how the Dane County employers were jumping on the bandwagon to support workers with children despite no federal guidelines for doing so.
There are still no federal guidelines in December 2022, but the story did inspire a well-written column by the Wisconsin State Journal's editorial board.
Solving some problems may have to start with new knowledge and awareness, just like storms always start with lightning, and then cracks of thunder.
The clouds always pass with time. And the sun comes out again.
That's my personal theme for 2022. Enjoy the below collection.
Lines stretching 50 to 60 vehicles. Wait times topping two hours. Empty shelves normally stocked with at-home coronavirus test kits. Cold symp…
Before Angie Riedemann’s family moved to Madison at the end of January, the post-doctoral researcher contacted 40 local child care facilities …
A financial coach who helps Black women take control of their finances. An African landscaper who beautifies private yards and gardens. A text…
A growing number of workers in Madison and around the country have moved to unionize or picket as they push for higher wages, better working c…
A global purveyor of gardening tools and a biotechnology company recently became the latest of Madison’s larger workplaces to offer employees …
Emilie Heidemann | Wisconsin State Journal
Emilie Heidemann is a multimedia journalist for the Wisconsin State Journal. She covers the economy and housing in the Madison area.
