MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WKRN) – A new business could be bringing more than 1,200 jobs to Mt. Juliet, but the name of the company that will operate out of the facility remains unknown. Some people think it could Amazon.
“This is a project, unlike anything Middle Tennessee has seen before,” said Mt. Juliet Chamber of Commerce President Mark Hinesley.
The proposed building would be located off Golden Bear Gateway and East Division Street. It’s under a code name in city agendas “Project Sam.” It plans to set up shop with 3.6 million square feet, most for a warehouse, the rest for office space. The plan also includes nearly 1,800 parking spots and 200 for distribution trucks.
“They did mention publicly that it’s going to very high tech, a lot of robotics, management, engineers, the safety features included in this building are unbelievable,” Hinesley described, “Ten thousand feet of sewer line extension, road lanes, stoplights.”
Some say its layout is similar to other Amazon fulfillment facilities. In fact, a similar proposal under “Project Rocket” came about the same way in Gwinnett, Mississippi last year.
“The question of being secretive, I will tell you that most every project that comes to the county, has a code name, whether it’s Project Muffin, Project Blue Bird, Project Sam, Project Target, they dream that up,” Hinesley explained, “I think it probably takes the politics out of it.”
If approved by the city commission, the business wants to be up and running by mid-2021.
“Close to the airport, I-40 with the interchange, 840, available land,” Hinesley said, “The roads are already in place, there’s an educated willing workforce here.. and we are only going to be better when a company like this decides to call Mt. Juliet home.”
The project passed planning commission Thursday night. It will not officially be approved until it passes two separate votes by the city commissioners. The first will be Monday.