Online retail giant Amazon is coming to Bristol, with plans to open a new delivery center in the city’s industrial park.
Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu made the announcement at a City Council meeting Wednesday. The facility will bring at least 100 new jobs to the city and could bring more seasonal work.
Zoppo-Sassu said the news came as a bit of a surprise.
"We didn’t see this coming. We thought this building was destined for another use in our industrial park and then things just happened," she said.
The facility is set to open on Aug. 25.
Most of the jobs will be overnight shifts, and will be the final point of contact by Amazon workers before packages are delivered.
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Bristol's average household income is about $59,000 and the mayor hopes many of the new positions can create new economic opportunities for city residents.
"I know there may be some people who scoff at a 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift. But for some people, this is going to be a lifeline. Because they’re sharing cars. They work a part-time job, they don’t have childcare," she said.
Zoppo-Sassu said the city has been in talks with the Department of Transportation and the governor's office with the hopes of expanding mass transit routes and hours of operation to help more of this facility's employees reach their jobs.
