3.2M-sq.-ft. Amazon facility to start construction at Waterbury-Naugatuck site after $2.5M land sale
RENDERING | CONTRIBUTED
A rendering of the Amazon distribution warehouse planned for Waterbury/Naugatuck.
Online retail giant Amazon has purchased 157 acres from the city of Waterbury for $2.5 million, setting the stage for construction of a roughly 3.2 million-square-foot logistics center.
Waterbury and Naugatuck officials, on Monday, confirmed the sale of the site – which stretches over the city’s southern border and into Naugatuck – to an Amazon-affiliated limited liability company.
“They want to start site work immediately,” Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said. “We are looking forward to it because of the potential it has to bring 1,000 jobs to the area that are much-needed. It will also increase the tax base. It will be a huge boon for Waterbury and Naugatuck.”
The sale marks a key milestone in a years-long effort to get the massive Amazon warehouse built.
In 2021, representatives from Bluewater Property Group -- a Pennsylvania developer that has built for Amazon previously -- joined Waterbury-area officials and Gov. Ned Lamont at a news conference announcing plans for the project.
The city has tried to lure development to the site for decades, with prior proposals for a dog track, casino and mall failing partly due to steep topography on much of the property. That difficulty was overcome, in part, thanks to new cooperation between Waterbury and Naugatuck to facilitate access through the borough.
The two municipalities have agreed to evenly split tax revenue from the development.
“We are all thrilled to have reached this critical milestone,” Naugatuck Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said. “Naugatuck and Waterbury remain fully engaged in a cooperative effort with Amazon and Bluewater to bring this exciting project to life.”
“Waterbury and Naugatuck are great places to live and work, and we’re pleased to be establishing local operations here,” said Glendowlyn Thames, a senior manager of economic development with Amazon. “We’re excited that construction on this state-of-the-art Amazon robotics fulfillment center is slated to start soon.”
Christina Bernardin, vice president of Bluewater Property Group, credited both municipalities with being “incredible partners.”
“After 3 years of collaboration, planning, engineering and dedication, we're proud to begin construction on a project that reflects the shared vision of both municipalities and our team,” Bernardin said.
Of the sale proceeds, $392,932 will be split between the Waterbury Development Corp. and the borough of Naugatuck in payment for a parcel the two bought to facilitate access to the development site.
Separately, Amazon paid $4.8 million in 2022 for a 55,349-square-foot, 1980-vintage industrial building on 8.5 acres at 191 Sheridan Drive in Naugatuck.
A conceptual plan Bluewater shared at that time showed access driveways pushing through that property.
Under its purchase agreement with Waterbury for the 157-acre site, Bluewater is required to begin site work within one year. The contract gives the developer three years to complete the project, but also allows for two extensions to add up to 18 months to the construction schedule.
If the new landowner fails to make adequate progress within these timelines, the purchase agreement it signed with the city has provisions that could force a sale, either to another developer or back to the city.
The project is expected to support more than 300 construction jobs and, once operational, could create up to 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs with benefits.
Former Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary, who reached the agreement with Hess that opened up access through Naugatuck, said he is “incredibly proud” of his role in the effort.
“What began as a shared vision between two municipalities has now become a regional success story,” O’Leary said. “This is a win not only for Waterbury and Naugatuck but for the entire Naugatuck Valley.”
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