However, the supervisor stressed that the Amazon project in Tonawanda is vastly different to the massive project mulled by Grand Island officials.
“Our distribution center here is 120,000 square feet, roughly, and theirs is 3.8 million,” Emminger said. “The complexity and all the things that go into that property certainly don’t fit in our Tonawanda warehouse.”
The Grand Island project is on pause from the developer, who halted the project last week when it became clear the town’s planning board would reject Amazon’s national distribution center on Long Road. Community members are pushing back against the project due to its size and location near neighborhoods, a state park, and wetlands.
There’s also a push to have the project continue from public officials like Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, who said on Friday that the economic benefit is too good to pass up.
READ MORE: Poloncarz implores Grand Island to welcome Amazon (July 24)
Emminger pointed out that the location of the Tonawanda’s site is favorable to the community because it’s in a technology park and there was no need for zoning variances.
“We are happy that they chose Tonawanda and the site was a perfect fit for that park,” he said.