Mendez: Amazon intends to build a distribution center in Brownsville

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Former Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez has announced Amazon intends to build a distribution center in his city.

He says the Seattle-based e-commerce giant has purchased around 13 acres of land on FM 511.

“It’s official. Amazon has purchased about 13 acres on 511 with the intent of building a distribution center,” Mendez said, in a posting on Facebook.

“I had been holding this news for about three weeks, but was told today by the attorney who handled the transaction that it is public information now. A few others posted the rumors, but I can confirm.

Kudos to the GBIC team and (city) leadership for their work on this project.”

GBIC stands for Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation. It is the City of Brownsville’s Type A economic development organization. 

Amazon has not confirmed it is to build a distribution center in Brownsville, and neither has GBIC or the City of Brownsville. The day before Mendez announced the news on Facebook, Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., wrote on the same digital platform:

“There have been reports today on social media about a major corporate development coming to Brownsville. At this time, the City of Brownsville and the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation are not in a position to confirm the potential development but we will release information at the appropriate time,” Cowen said.

According according Cameron County Clerk’s office, Amazon.com Services LLC purchased a little over 13 acres in the southeast corner of the intersection of FM 511/FM 550/Interstate-169 and Paredes Line Road in Brownsville in April, 2024. The seller was Heduma Construction LLC. 

On Friday, Mayor Cowen told the Brownsville Herald: 

“I think the announcement, at least from the city’s side, is premature. We’re waiting for the official announcement to be made on a potential development there, so that’s something that’s pending on the city and GBIC side.”

There was talk of Amazon building a “fulfillment center”in Peñitas but the plans were ditched in May 2022. The center would have been built near the intersection of U.S. 83 and North 23rd Street in Peñitas. 

“Basically what we’re getting from Amazon is they’re slowing their growth on warehousing and putting a lot of projects on hold,” Mike Perez, then-executive director of the Peñitas Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, told the Mission Progress Times in May, 2022. 

Asked if the Peñitas project had been canceled, Amazon released a statement. “Amazon is constantly exploring new locations and weighing a variety of factors when deciding where to develop sites to best serve our customers,” according to a statement released by an Amazon spokesman. “However, we have a policy of not commenting on our future roadmap.”

The post Mendez: Amazon intends to build a distribution center in Brownsville appeared first on Rio Grande Guardian.