The Amazon warehouse and distribution center built at the former site of the Greendale Mall in Worcester is now operational, almost five years after the mall was first slated to be demolished.
The last-mile delivery facility on Neponset Street, destined to be the final stop for packages before they’re delivered to customers, opened on Wednesday following on-site training operations, according to an email from Mike Murphy, Amazon’s regional public relations manager for New England.
The company had previously said the site would open in time for the 2024 holiday shopping season, following continued work at the site over the summer.
Demolition of the former mall began in August 2021 after the facility had struggled for years to find tenants, a situation made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Boston real estate firm Finard Properties bought the parcel for $7.1 million in December 2019, with intentions of constructing a large mixed-use development featuring apartments, medical offices, and retail stores.
Finard pivoted its plans away from a mixed-use development in November 2020, in favor of an Amazon warehouse and distribution center at the site.
In addition to the new Worcester facility, Amazon’s presence in Central Massachusetts includes facilities in Westborough, Uxbridge, and Charlton.
Eric Casey is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
