2ND INVOLVED FLORIDA AIRPORTS AND AMAZON FULFILLMENT CENTER ON THE TREASURE COAST IS TEMPORARILY CLOSING, PUTTING MORE THAN 800 PEOPLE OUT OF WORK. REPORTER RACHEL WILLIAMS LOOKS AT THE HELP THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE GETTING TO FIND NEW JOBS. SAINT LUCIE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IS PARTNERING WITH LOCAL AGENCIES TO HELP EMPLOYEES FIND JOBS. NOW, THE COUNCIL TELLS ME THAT A FEW COMPANIES WITHIN THE COUNTY ARE OPENING THIS SUMMER, 850 EMPLOYEES ARE IMPACTED BY THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE. ALL OF THE POSITIONS ARE WAREHOUSE POSITIONS. THE FULFILLMENT CENTER WILL BE SHUTTING DOWN FOR TWO YEARS. SINCE AMAZON IS INVESTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO TRANSFORM THE SITE INTO A NEW, UPGRADED CENTER. THE FOOTPRINT OF THE BUILDING WON’T CHANGE, BUT WITHIN THE MEZZANINE AND A BUNCH OF EQUIPMENT THAT WILL ADD $200 MILLION TO THE CURRENTLY $100 MILLION VALUED BUILDING. MAUREEN SELTZER WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL FOR SAINT LUCIE COUNTY, TELLS ME THEIR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PERSONNEL HAS ALREADY STARTED WITH THE COMPANY AMAZON HIRED TO ASSIST EMPLOYEES WITH CURRENT JOB OPENINGS. WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A NUMBER OF JOBS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW FOR ABOUT 40 PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW OF. IMPORT MEX IS OPENING. COSTCO’S SECOND PHASE IS OPENING, AND OTHER COMPANIES WHO ARE GOING TO NEED THAT TYPE OF WORKER, MAYBE INKAS ARMORED IS OPENING A FACILITY, A TEMPORARY FACILITY WHILE THEY BUILD ONE IN FORT PIERCE. SO THERE WILL BE JOBS, NOT 850 OF THEM PROBABLY, BUT THERE WILL BE JOBS AVAILABLE IN THE PAST, SELTZER SAYS THE COUNCIL HAS HELPED PEOPLE FIND JOBS AFTER COMPANY ANNOUNCED LAYOFFS. TYPICALLY, IT’S SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BUSINESSES, SO THAT REALLY HELPS US OPEN THE DOOR. AND CAREERSOURCE HAS KIND OF THE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE GRANTS AND THEY HAVE TRAINING GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT THEY CAN OFFER. SO THAT’S GREAT. SO BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE IT HOPEFULLY AS PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE. AMAZON SAYS THE UPGRADED FACILITY IS SET TO REOPEN IN 2028 AND WILL EMPLOY 1000 PEOPLE, ALL EMPLOYEES IMPACTED BY THIS CURRENT SHUTDOWN IS ELIGIBLE FOR REHIRE ONCE THE RENOVATI
Amazon fulfillment center in Port St. Lucie to close for 2 years, affecting 850 employees
Amazon’s Port St. Lucie fulfillment center will temporarily close for upgrades later this year, leaving 850 employees without jobs, though support services and severance packages are being offered.
Updated: 6:57 PM EDT May 18, 2026
Amazon’s fulfillment center in Port St. Lucie, located just south of Midway Road, will temporarily close for two years starting Sept. 17, leaving 850 warehouse employees without jobs as the company invests $200 million to upgrade the facility. “The footprint of the building won’t change, but within the mezzanine and a bunch of equipment, that will add $200 million to the currently $100 million value building,” said Maureen Saltzer, director of communications and outreach for the St. Lucie County Economic Development Council. Amazon anticipates the upgraded facility will generate an additional $3 million annually in taxes for local entities, including the city, county, schools, fire district and other taxing authorities. The company has not received any tax or financial incentives for its facilities in St. Lucie County. Amber Plunkett, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement: “The Treasure Coast is a great place to live and work and we’re proud of our partnerships across St. Lucie County. These investments and improvements reflect our long-term confidence in the region. We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees, customers, partners, and drivers. As part of that effort, we occasionally convert existing facilities to a new type of facility – which is what we plan to do here later this year. When these renovations are done, Port St. Lucie will be home to a new fulfillment center that will create long-term benefits for our customers, employees, and the community for many years to come.” The St. Lucie County Economic Development Council is partnering with local agencies to assist affected employees in finding new jobs. Saltzer said their workforce development personnel have already begun working with the company Amazon hired to support employees during the transition. “We actually do have a number of jobs available right now for about 40 people that we know of,” Saltzer said. “Import mix is opening, Costco’s second phase is opening, and other companies who are going to need that type of worker. Inkas Armored is opening a facility, a temporary facility while they build one in Fort Pierce. So, there will be jobs, not 850 of them, probably, but there will be jobs available.” Saltzer noted that the council has successfully helped workers find new positions in the past after layoffs were announced. The Economic Development Council, CareerSource Research Coast, and Amazon’s transition support company will provide professional services such as career assessments, resume writing and interview preparation. “Typically, it’s successful because we have the relationships with the businesses. So that really helps us open the door. And CareerSource has kind of the grants and they have training grants and things like that they can offer. So that’s great; between those two things we can make it hopefully as painless as possible,” Saltzer said. Amazon is offering employees transfers to its delivery stations in Port St. Lucie or Jupiter if positions are available. Workers who remain employed until the Sept. 17 closing date will receive four weeks of severance pay and a lump sum payout equal to six months of healthcare benefits. The facility is expected to reopen in late 2028, with Amazon planning to hire 1,000 employees for the upgraded center. Current employees affected by the closure will be rehirable and can return to work for the company when openings arise, including when the facility reopens.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
Amazon’s fulfillment center in Port St. Lucie, located just south of Midway Road, will temporarily close for two years starting Sept. 17, leaving 850 warehouse employees without jobs as the company invests $200 million to upgrade the facility.
“The footprint of the building won’t change, but within the mezzanine and a bunch of equipment, that will add $200 million to the currently $100 million value building,” said Maureen Saltzer, director of communications and outreach for the St. Lucie County Economic Development Council.
Amazon anticipates the upgraded facility will generate an additional $3 million annually in taxes for local entities, including the city, county, schools, fire district and other taxing authorities. The company has not received any tax or financial incentives for its facilities in St. Lucie County.
Amber Plunkett, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement: “The Treasure Coast is a great place to live and work and we’re proud of our partnerships across St. Lucie County. These investments and improvements reflect our long-term confidence in the region. We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees, customers, partners, and drivers. As part of that effort, we occasionally convert existing facilities to a new type of facility – which is what we plan to do here later this year. When these renovations are done, Port St. Lucie will be home to a new fulfillment center that will create long-term benefits for our customers, employees, and the community for many years to come.”
The St. Lucie County Economic Development Council is partnering with local agencies to assist affected employees in finding new jobs. Saltzer said their workforce development personnel have already begun working with the company Amazon hired to support employees during the transition.
“We actually do have a number of jobs available right now for about 40 people that we know of,” Saltzer said. “Import mix is opening, Costco’s second phase is opening, and other companies who are going to need that type of worker. Inkas Armored is opening a facility, a temporary facility while they build one in Fort Pierce. So, there will be jobs, not 850 of them, probably, but there will be jobs available.”
Saltzer noted that the council has successfully helped workers find new positions in the past after layoffs were announced. The Economic Development Council, CareerSource Research Coast, and Amazon’s transition support company will provide professional services such as career assessments, resume writing and interview preparation.
“Typically, it’s successful because we have the relationships with the businesses. So that really helps us open the door. And CareerSource has kind of the grants and they have training grants and things like that they can offer. So that’s great; between those two things we can make it hopefully as painless as possible,” Saltzer said.
Amazon is offering employees transfers to its delivery stations in Port St. Lucie or Jupiter if positions are available. Workers who remain employed until the Sept. 17 closing date will receive four weeks of severance pay and a lump sum payout equal to six months of healthcare benefits.
The facility is expected to reopen in late 2028, with Amazon planning to hire 1,000 employees for the upgraded center. Current employees affected by the closure will be rehirable and can return to work for the company when openings arise, including when the facility reopens.