Johnston Town Council approves construction of Amazon distribution center

JOHNSTON, R.I. (WLNE) – An Amazon distribution center will be coming to Johnston following a vote by the Town Council Wednesday night.

Construction of the center, located off of Route 6, will begin next month.

Dozens of people stood up to speak before the Council’s vote. Dozens more stood outside the building, specifically union members calling for a “yes” vote.

The facility will be hiring about 15 hundred full-time workers, something those union members advocated for.

“It would mean a lot to me, because it would support my family,” one union worker said.

An additional 15 hundred workers will be involved in the construction of the 4-million-square-foot facility.

Others are concerned about the noise and traffic the facility would bring, though Amazon said it will be putting nearly a million dollars into traffic improvements around the facility.

The project is expected to be completed by April 2023.