Opening of Amazon warehouse in Huntley delayed, company says

Despite the on-time completion of the building’s shell, the opening of Amazon’s warehouse in Huntley is being delayed, officials with the company said Tuesday.

Originally, plans called for the 630,000 square-foot building to open this summer. Located on Freeman Road near Route 47 and Interstate 90, the facility could bring more than 1,000 jobs to Huntley.

Once opened, the warehouse will act as a receiving center for large orders and redistribute products to Amazon fulfillment centers.

An Amazon official did not give an exact timeline for when the facility might open for business, but suggested it could open before the end of the year or in 2023.

Rosemont-based developer Venture One Real Estate built the exterior part of the building, Huntley Director of Development Services Charles Nordman said.

With that completed, Amazon, being the tenant, is starting work on the building’s interior, which will include conveyors and other work needed to prep the building, Nordman said.

“My understanding is there’s several more months of construction putting all that together,” he said.

The village has not received a specific timeline for when that all will be finished, Nordman said. Village officials also do not know the timeline for Amazon to start hiring for the facility.

“They haven’t shared any of that information with us,” Nordman said.

Once the facility’s opening date is determined, Amazon will start hiring for the warehouse 30 days before that date, an Amazon spokesperson said.

Regardless of the delay, Village President Timothy Hoeft said Amazon will be great for Huntley.

“Amazon being in town is going to be a wonderful addition due to the jobs and what it’s going to do to help our local economy,” Hoeft said Tuesday. “I’m excited for when it does open. ... It’s part of our plan to make this town the best we can.”

Along with the 1,000 new jobs, the facility is expected to generate $800,000 in property tax revenue.

As it stands, Amazon has not yet applied for membership to the Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director Nancy Binger said. She’s letting the village take the lead on forming that relationship.

“When more of the on-site management comes we’ll do what we can to partner with them,” Binger said.

Amazon bringing new jobs will help bolster the area’s restaurants and retail by generating new business for them, Binger said. The brand recognition also will attract other businesses to Huntley.

“That’s always helpful for the growth of our community and the chamber,” she said. “Probably the only concern for some people is Huntley’s small-town feel. Something like Amazon threatens that a little bit, but I think Huntley will always have that family, tight-knit feeling.”

Amazon has more than 35,000 employees throughout Illinois. The facility in Huntley represents a total investment of about $100 million. Amazon also has a facility planned in Crystal Lake, which is expected to open in 2023.

The facility is opening on the southern end of town, which will see a cluster of industrial activity in the coming years. One such project, also through Venture One, includes a nearly 730,000-square-foot building near Route 47 and Jim Dhamer Drive.

That building could have two tenants occupying it once complete.