Amazon Leases Former DuPont Warehouse in Seaford

23 MARCH, 2021  | DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES

SEAFORD — Amazon, the e-commerce juggernaut, is continuing its rapid Delaware expansion, leasing a large warehouse in Sussex County to push its rural distribution service.

The 104,000-square-foot warehouse in 1700 Dulaney St. is a remnant of the DuPont nylon plant that once dominated Seaford’s economy. Amazon officials and property owner NAI Coastal have applied for a preliminary site plan with Seaford City Council to expand the parking lot to 423 vans and 150 employee parking spots.

Amazon is expected to create “hundreds of full and part-time jobs” that start $15 an hour once it opens in May 2021, according to a press release.

“We are very happy Amazon chose Seaford,” Mayor David Genshaw said in a prepared statement. “The creation of new jobs is a huge win for our city and beyond. We look forward to working with them in their efforts to better serve their customers here on Delmarva.”

Over the past 18 months, Amazon has doubled down on its investment in Delaware with a new warehouse at the Delaware Logistics Center and a 3.8 million-square-foot mega warehouse at the former General Motors Boxwood site in New Castle. But this marks the first time the online retailer giant has ventured to Sussex County, in a bid to expedite shipping in rural Delaware and the Maryland Eastern Shore.

Amazon has been shoring up its network of last-mile delivery stations, with 250 nationwide. Packages arrive at these stations from fulfillment or sortation centers and are loaded into vehicles for delivery. While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated Amazon’s profit by 200%, the company started to turn to creating small shipping hubs in rural America to fulfill deliveries.

“This is part of their initiative to tap into the rural market. They see an opportunity here, and we’re fortunate enough to meet their demands. It’s a big win for Seaford and western Sussex County, especially since it’s among the top employers in the country right now,” Gillis Gilkerson Principal Brad Gillis told the Delaware Business Times.

Prior to leasing, Gillis Gilkerson bought the warehouse in January for $7.09 million, according to county land records. NAI Coastal, the commercial real estate arm of Gillis Gilkerson, brokered the lease with Amazon.