Ohio Leads U.S. in Number, Value of Active Amazon Projects

With more than $22 billion planned for investment in 180 projects, e-commerce and data services giant Amazon.com Incorporated (NASDAQ:AMZN) (Seattle, Washington) has become one of the leading companies for industrial construction in the U.S. But which state is garnering the most activity from the company? A look at Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database reveals that Ohio leads the U.S. in both the number and value of active Amazon projects. Industrial Info is tracking more than $8.3 billion worth of active projects in the state, spread over 26 projects.

Much of the reason for Ohio's taking a leading position for Amazon projects is due to a massive data center development planned for New Albany, in the northeast outskirts of Columbus. Amazon already has an existing data center and fulfillment center in the city, but the new data center is something different.

Earlier this year, local press reported that Amazon had acquired 400 acres near its existing data center and another 400 acres on a different parcel. Filings have been made for the construction of 18 buildings on the West parcel and 11 buildings on the East parcel, along with acreage for substations for both locations. The projects would be built in phases, extending construction for years, but provided permitting is in place, contractors could break ground on both of tracts of land later this year. Over the course of the project, spending could top $7 billion for both sites. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for a look at the related project reports.

Amazon also is planning expansions at its existing New Albany data center campus. Construction of a 170,000-square-foot building addition is expected to kick off soon, putting the project on track for completion by the end of the year. This could potentially be followed by another expansion, but Amazon has lately been pushing the pause button on some of its proposed developments as sales stabilize following a rapid escalation in the demand for the company's products and services in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subscribers can learn more in the reports on the Phase IV and Phase V expansions.

But New Albany is not the only Ohio location for Amazon's data center projects. In Hilliard, also in the Greater Columbus area, Amazon will soon break ground on a data center campus with seven data center buildings and three support buildings. Phase I would include an approximately 152,000-square-foot data hall that will help further expand Amazon's web services in the region. The campus would be built in phases, with Phase I expected to wrap up in early 2024. Subscribers can click here for the related reports.

While Amazon expands its data center footprint in the state, it is also at work on providing product deliveries with the construction of fulfillment centers. In Union, on the northwest outskirts of Dayton, Amazon is underway with construction on a 2.8 million-square-foot, multi-story fulfillment center with supporting systems and equipment to pick, pack and ship smaller items such as books, electronics and other consumer goods. The facility is expected to go into operation later this year. Subscribers can click here for the full report.

Amazon is putting the finishing touches on another fulfillment center in Canton. The 1 million-square-foot building will feature 96 loading ramps and 390 trailer parking spaces. The selected site is on a former golf course, and the project involved demolition of existing buildings. Subscribers can click here to learn more.