Amazon Logistics signed a lease with plans to open a new delivery station at the site of the former Center Mall in Knoxville, Tennessee. The project will create hundreds of full-time and part-time jobs.

The new delivery station will be located five miles east of downtown Knoxville and will power Amazon’s last-mile delivery capabilities to speed up deliveries for customers in the Tennessee Valley.

“Tennessee is a great place to do business and we are excited to continue to invest in the state with the new delivery station in Knoxville, providing efficient delivery for customers, and creating hundreds of job opportunities for the talented workforce in the region,” said Courtney Johnson Norman, Amazon Spokesperson.

Each new delivery station, including the new station in Knoxville, is now designed to meet the needs of electric delivery vehicles, the chamber noted. Ranging from the physical layout to electrical design, Amazon is optimizing these spaces to offer flexibility and scale as the company moves closer toward putting 10,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in 2022.

“Amazon is one of the most well-known global brands, and we’re proud of the partnership Tennessee has established with the company. Amazon has pledged to create nearly 3,000 jobs across all three grand divisions of our state within the past year and this new investment in Knoxville simply adds to that tremendous growth. I congratulate everyone who was involved with this project and thank Amazon for its continued commitment to Tennessee,” said Bob Rolfe, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 25,000 full- and part-time jobs in Tennessee. The company has invested more than $8.9 billion across the state, including infrastructure and compensation. These investments have contributed an additional $8.7 billion to the Tennessee economy and have helped create more than 12,700 indirect jobs on top of Amazon’s direct hires, from jobs in construction and logistics to professional services. In addition, more than 28,000 small and medium businesses in Tennessee are currently growing their businesses with Amazon, creating thousands of additional jobs.

“TVA and Knoxville Utilities Board congratulate Amazon on its decision to locate operations and create hundreds of new job opportunities in Knoxville. Helping to support job creation is fundamental to TVA’s mission of service, and we are proud to partner with the Knoxville Chamber, the City of Knoxville and Knox County to celebrate Amazon’s continued commitment to growth in the Valley,” said John Bradley, Senior Vice President of Economic Development, TVA.

Delivery stations power the last mile of Amazon’s order fulfillment process. Packages are transported to delivery stations from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers, and then loaded into vehicles for delivery to customers. There are currently four delivery stations in Tennessee, and Amazon currently has more than 250 delivery stations in the U.S.

“We are thrilled to welcome Amazon to Knoxville. The redevelopment of the Knoxville Center Mall site into a delivery station by a globally-recognized company demonstrates the robust resources our region offers in support of businesses operating within the Chamber’s strategic movement platform. This project advances the organization’s mission of driving regional economic prosperity through Amazon’s capital investment along with the creation of hundreds of new jobs for area residents,” added Dave Miller, Vice Chair of Economic Development for the Knoxville Chamber.