Amazon comes to Fife with sorting center on tribal land
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians announced Tuesday that Amazon is moving to Fife with a 520,000-square-foot warehouse.
The sorting center is expected to bring more than 500 jobs to the area, a Puyallup Tribe press release said. In sorting centers, packages arrive from fulfillment warehouses and are sorted by final destination, according to Amazon’s website.
The project will be built on 41 acres of Puyallup Tribe land at 7449 45th St. Ct. E. Tribal chairman Bill Sterud said the development will strengthen the Tribe’s economic portfolio.
“We have promised our membership that we will diversify our tribe’s revenue streams, to make us more resilient to economic changes and protect our people well into the future,” Sterud said in a statement.
Within the last five years, the Puyallup Tribe has bought two restaurant properties on Ruston Way, opened cannabis stores and opened the Salish Cancer Center in addition to the new Emerald Queen Casino along Interstate 5.
Amazon has already announced it is hiring for more than 500 positions at the new Fife location. The average starting wage will be $18 an hour, with a sign-on bonus of up to $3,000. The company is also offering an additional $100 with proof of COVID-19 vaccination and benefits.
Amazon spokesperson Karen Riley Sawyer said the project will be completed within the month.
Fife Mayor Kim Roscoe said in a statement the development is exciting.
“Amazon’s partnership with the Puyallup Tribe will add scale to city utilities, while their workforce payroll and professional development will be an asset for local workers now and in the future,” a statement said.
Fife has previously expressed concerns about the project, namely the impact on the traffic and lack of opportunity for public comment.
There are 1,282 homes in proximity to the project, including Radiance, Saddle Creek and Valley Haven neighborhoods.
According to documents obtained by The News Tribune, the tribe’s environmental checklist showed the project would result in 1,152 daily vehicle trips. Initial studies estimate there will be an average of 82 trips related to the warehouse during the peak evening commute hour.
The letter said the money would “only be used for system improvements that will benefit the Project, specifically the 70th Avenue corridor …” The letter also asked the tribe to include more road work, like adding a northbound right turn lane on 70th Avenue East onto 45th Street Court East.
The city did not respond to questions on whether staff were still concerned about these issues.
The tribe responded by saying they declined to make or pay for road improvements.
“Our project does not fall under the jurisdiction of the City of Fife, and we respectfully decline to agree to any improvements or cost outlined in the letter,” the tribe’s response letter earlier this year said. Puyallup Tribe’s Communication Director Michael Thompson said on Tuesday he isn’t aware of the tribes involvement with road work.
This story was originally published October 19, 2021 at 9:24 AM.
