Amazon made it official on Tuesday morning.

It will open a “last-mile” delivery station in Fresno on 43 acres at Olive and Clovis Avenues — site of the old Sunnyside Drive-in movie theater.

The nearly 183,091 square-foot facility, which is under construction, will employ 500 people, company officials said.

The pay starts at $17.25 an hour and includes benefits such as healthcare, dental, vision, and paid time off.

Amazon also recently announced partnerships with Clovis Community College and Fresno State for its $1.2 billion Career Choice program. The effort provides employees with college tuition.

‘Great News,’ Says Dyer

“I am so pleased to welcome the Amazon Last Mile facility to Fresno, creating hundreds of full-time jobs, and more local economic opportunity is great news for Fresno residents,” said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer in a news release.

“Those who are unemployed – or underemployed – will now have another avenue to good-paying work that includes healthcare and other benefits.  Additionally, this southeast Fresno distribution center will put Amazon closer to its customers, which should help reduce traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Amazon also operates an 855,000 square-foot fulfillment center at 3575 S Orange Ave. in Fresno. That facility has about 2,500 employees.

Amazon’s 2040 Carbon Neutral Goal

In 2019, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos pledged to make the company net carbon neutral by 2040. That pledge included buying as many as 100,000 electric delivery vans. Bezos said that all of the vans would be in use by 2024.