Local, State Officials Submit Letter in Support of Stoughton Amazon Warehouse

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Three Stoughton representatives expressed support this week for Amazon.com’s planned upgrade of a distribution facility in town.

State Sen. Brian Joyce (D-Milton), State Rep. Louis Kafka (D-Stoughton) and William C. Galvin (D-Canton) this week submitted a letter of support to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development in support of Amazon.com’s move to upgrade a facility in Stoughton, according to an announcement Monday.

The three officials offered support of a Tax Increment Financing exemption for Amazon; the TIF offers a reduced personal property tax rate for the first 10 years of the company’s facility operations.

“This is good news for Stoughton, and a prudent investment for taxpayers,” Joyce said in a statement. “This economic incentive will see vacant real estate inhabited and quality jobs created in the community.”

Said Kafka, “This is another huge step in the economic revitalization of Stoughton, and everyone involved in making this happen should extremely proud.”

Last week, Massachusetts officials announced that the proposal to turn the old Reebok distribution center on Technology Center Drive in Stoughton resulted in tax breaks for the company and for the town. The company aims to open about 125 full-time jobs with an average annual income of $45,000 each. The project would also open the door for potentially hundreds of part-time jobs during peak shopping seasons.

“By opening a distribution center in Stoughton, Amazon will bring numerous economic benefits to the town because it is such a large corporation,” Galvin said in a statement. “It will attract other businesses to the area, which will bring jobs to the community and further fuel economic growth. New business will additionally improve and stabilize the town’s tax base.”

The new Amazon facility will act as a package handling “pass through” location from larger distribution centers onto trucks and will service the New England region. The company plans to invest $20 million to upgrade the facility and fit with approximately $17 million in machinery and equipment.

Stoughton residents, meanwhile, weighed in on a Stoughton Patch poll, with 91.4 percent of respondents in favor of the move as of Tuesday.

To vote in the poll and weigh in, click here >>

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