Two years after Amazon backed out of a massive warehouse project in Salinas, the online retail and web services giant confirmed it is revisiting its plans to build in Monterey County’s largest city.
It is currently unknown if the project is similar to the 2.92-million-square-foot, five-story facility that was originally on the table.
In an email to the Weekly, Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson said the company has “started initial development for an operations facility in Salinas.”
“Launch plans are in the very early stages and additional construction, design and permitting steps remain,” he said. “We appreciate the support of our partners in Salinas and look forward to sharing more when we can.”
In late 2021, Scannell Properties filed an application to the City of Salinas for a warehouse and distribution facility. Documents obtained by the Weekly listed the intended tenant as Amazon.
Plans called for the facility to be located at the Salinas Ag Industrial Center, currently an agricultural lot at the corner of Abbott Street and Harris Road. The center was approved as a concept in 2009, but had not received any development applications until Scannell’s submission.
In April 2022, then-City Manager Steve Carrigan said the project was tabled indefinitely, citing rising construction costs as the reasoning from the developer.
However, in November 2023, Scannell purchased the property from Uni-Kool Partners for $14.7 million, County Assessor records show.