Amazon hiring 1,000 for $30M retrofit of vacant Tri-Cities warehouse
Amazon Inc. confirms it expects to open its second Pasco receiving center in August, four years after the massive building was constructed.
The warehouse known as Project Pearl in east Pasco will open with about 1,000 employees following a $30 million retrofit to suit its new mission, a spokesman told the Tri-City Herald on Tuesday.
Amazon and its development partner, Ryan Development, developed two massive warehouses near Sacajawea State Park, intending to open them as centers to fulfill customer orders.
The project paused for several years before Amazon found new purposes for the empty buildings.
Project Oyster, 1321 S. Road 40 E, opened as an Inbound Cross Dock, or receiving center, in 2024 after hiring about 1,800 workers to start.
Now, it’s Pearl’s turn to be retooled to serve a similar mission to its twin.
The city of Pasco recently authorized work to convert the never-opened warehouse at 1202 S. Road 40 E. into a receiving center for merchandise entering the Amazon system.
The project includes removing the original racking system, creating more truck bays and installing a sorter and new racking equipment.
It will be identified as IWA6 in the Amazon system. Jobs are posted at amazon.jobs.
Amazon The Seattle e-commerce and data giant opened a smaller delivery station in north Pasco to facilitate faster deliveries in the Tri-Cities.
