Amazon plans to open a one million square-foot fulfillment center in Carencro, Louisiana. The $100 million investment is expected to create 500 direct jobs.

Located on the former Evangeline Downs site, the first Amazon fulfillment center in the state will be near the junction of Interstates 10 and 49 and provide optimal access to Louisiana markets. The company anticipates the facility to be completed by the end of 2021.

“We are thrilled to be opening our first fulfillment center in the great state of Louisiana,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Vice President of Global Customer Fulfillment at Amazon. “We are grateful for the strong support we’ve received from local and state leaders as we expand our footprint in Louisiana. Every day at Amazon, incredible employees come together to deliver magical experiences for customers and we look forward to creating over 500 new, full-time jobs for the local community, with industry-leading pay and comprehensive benefits starting on day one.”

To secure the project in Carencro, the State of Louisiana offered Amazon a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive solutions of LED FastStart® – the nation’s No. 1 state workforce program for the past 11 years. Additionally, Amazon will be eligible for a performance-based grant of $3 million, payable over two years, to offset facility infrastructure costs.

“You don’t become the world’s largest online retailer without making a series of well-reasoned strategic investments, and Amazon’s selection of Carencro for its new fulfillment center is a testament to this,” explained Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. “This one million-square-foot fulfillment center will not only prove to be a tremendous asset for all of Louisiana, but the project also will result in more than 500 new, full-time jobs in Acadiana and surrounding regions. I am proud to welcome this new Amazon fulfillment center to Louisiana, and I look forward to their continued investment in our great state.”

The new fulfillment center is the latest Louisiana investment by Amazon, which already had invested more than $250 million in the state since 2010. In addition to seven Whole Foods Market locations in Louisiana, Amazon operates delivery stations in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The company also operates an Amazon Air logistics gateway at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Across Louisiana, Amazon currently employs over 1,500 full- and part-time workers.

“Today’s announcement is a big win for Carencro, Lafayette Parish and our Acadiana people,” President and CEO Gregg Gothreaux of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority added. “Amazon’s decision to locate Louisiana’s first fulfillment center here validates that our community is attractive to companies across sectors because of our work ethic, creativity and pro-business attitude. As our economy continues to recover from impacts of the pandemic and the energy downturn, this project highlights the importance of our diversification efforts to help stabilize the region’s economy.”