EDWARDSVILLE - Something Madison County Chairman Kurt Prenzler is excited about is inheriting a bustling Gateway Commerce Center Corridor.
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Prenzler is optimistic about the bright future for the Gateway Commerce area and this region’s business future.
“Businesses in the Gateway Commerce Center are providing many jobs,” Prenzler said. “There’s been a lot of success there, and I expect there will be more success.”
City of Edwardsville Economic and Community Development Director Walt Williams is beaming about the success of the Gateway area and Edwardsville’s overall business success in the downtown area.
“Amazon has added close to 1,200 jobs that we know of in the peak season now,” Williams said. “The jobs have good benefits and good pay.”
A large spec building for a national distribution center is underway. Williams said they know who the major player in the building will be, but it can’t be released yet. He said another part of the building will be leased by an additional company. The spec building is coming along quickly as the roof is being attached over some of the building and the rest being erected. The inside portions of the new structure will follow over the winter after the roof is completed.
With the large amount of success over the past few years, Williams said there is plenty of acreage available near Amazon for other distribution centers and businesses/industries to build and locate.
“There is no shortage of land out in the Gateway area,” he said. “There is more than 200 acres of land available.”
Williams said it had been previously projected that jobs in the Gateway area would double in five years but because of Amazon’s addition it is happening in about three years.
“This area is hot,” Williams said. “We definitely thought it would take longer to develop all these jobs.”
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