South Dade could be home to Amazon warehouse even bigger than the one in Opa-locka

South Miami-Dade could soon be the site of an Amazon warehouse bigger than the e-commerce giant’s distribution center in Opa-locka.

Miami-Dade County commissioners will decide Wednesday whether to sell land in the Naranja area near the Homestead Air Reserve Base to Amazon. The sale would allow the company to build one million square feet of warehouse space and is expected to provide 325 permanent jobs with salaries of at least $32,000.

Commissioner Dennis C. Moss, who represents South Miami-Dade, is championing the agreement. Moss could not be reached for comment.

Amazon will invest $80 million in the facilities. The company will also pay the county $22 million, with 25% of that going toward the Miami-Dade Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the remaining proceeds going to the Homestead Air Reserve Base Fund to further economic development in the area, according to a news release.

Median income in the Naranja area where the site would be located is around $31,100 and 31% of residents line below the federal poverty line, according to Census data.

The site would be Amazon’s largest warehouse in South Florida.

Amazon’s foray into Opa-locka last year culminated in a 855,000 square-foot facility that employed 1,500 full-time workers.

While the company increased its minimum wage to $15 per hour for all U..S workers in 2018, workers have described poor working conditions. Reports by several media organzations have uncovered many Amazon workplaces are more dangerous than the industry average.

In April, workers at the Opa-Locka site tested positive for COVID-19 at the site. Several workers at Amazon’s warehouse near Miami International Airport have also tested positive.

Amazon is set to open a brick-and-mortar on Lincoln Road. The opening date is unclear.

This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 6:20 PM.