Councillors Unhappy With Amazon Warehouse Opening Delays

By Adam Swift

When Amazon swooped in to build a new logistics and delivery warehouse at the former Showcase Cinema site on Squire Road, some city councillors saw it as the best possible outcome for the location and the site.

But that was in 2020, and some of those same councillors now say they are disturbed and disappointed that the warehouse could sit unused until 2026.

At last week’s council meeting, Ward 6 Councillor Richard Serino, read an email from Planning and Community Development Director Tom Skwierawski about the current status of the facility.

“There have been a lot of rumors about the Amazon facility in Linden Square, and I had tried to get ahead of this in February, I believe it was,” said Serino.

In his email, Skwierawski said he has been in regular communication with the Amazon team regarding the Squire Road project.

“At present, Amazon is not in a position to announce precisely when the Squire Road facility will be put into service, but we do expect that it will be well before 2026,” Skwierawski stated. “In any case, we have been assured by Amazon that the Squire Road facility is a part of Amazon’s future plans. That project is actually enhanced by the closure of other, older distribution facilities in the area.”

In addition to being a newer, state-of-the-art facility, Skwierawski noted that Amazon owns, rather than leases the property, showing an additional level of commitment that the company has to the city.

“In discussing this project with the city council and members of the public, I have sometimes heard assumptions made about the site due to the closures and delays in other lines of Amazon businesses, for example, Amazon Fresh and Amazon Books,” he added. “It is important to note that these lines of business are separate and quite distinct from the logistics facilities, so closures or delays in those areas do not necessarily relate to their logistics operations.”

Skwierawski said Amazon has assured the city that it is committed to the continued operation of its facility on the American Legion Highway, as well as the eventual activation of the Squire Road facility. In the meantime, Skwierawski stated that Amazon will continue to make sure there are adequate security and maintenance measures in place at the Squire Road building.

“We have this giant warehouse facility in the middle of Linden Square at the circle, and this says they are committed to opening it well before 2026, but we’re in 2023,” said Serino. “I just find it unacceptable that this is going to sit vacant for two years. Let’s be real, as with anything else, they are committed right now to opening, but things change.”

When the movie theater closed and it was announced that Amazon would be taking over the property, Serino said he was initially excited that it would bring jobs and revenue to Revere.

“What jobs has it created in my three years as a ward councillor?” Serino asked. “It’s an eyesore to my neighborhood … and the bottom line is that it is unacceptable that Amazon is not saying when it intends to open this.”

Councillor-at-Large Anthony Zambuto said he also believed the facility would bring jobs and positive economic growth to the city.

“Now we’re talking maybe it opens before 2026,” said Zambuto. “It’s insulting … we were snookered.”