Amazon may start distribution operations at Marriott-Slaterville facility this year

The 185,000-square-foot warehouse structure off 400 North on the east side of I-15 was finished in 2022 but has sat inactive since then, prompting plenty of speculation from the public about its future. Somehow, word has spread about the possibility of the facility finally starting distribution operations, and Morris said some job-seekers have contacted city staffers looking for more information.

“I have people walking in, even, saying, ‘Hey, I’m looking for a job. When do they open?’ But I don’t have a contact. I don’t know,” Morris said.

Amazon officials were tight-lipped when contacted but hinted at the possibility of movement at the site.

“We are actively using the Marriott-Slaterville facility as an equipment hub to support our operations across the country. This site has also remained in our plans to launch as a delivery station,” Nissa LaPoint, a regional Amazon media contact, said. She referenced an “upcoming announcement” about the site, possibly in the spring.

Salt Lake City-based Gardner Batt owns the building and built it with plans to lease to Amazon. Michael Batt, one of the company founders, hinted at the possibility of forward movement, like LaPoint, but didn’t get specific. “They are completing some electrical changes to accommodate their latest systems, and they intend to be using the building in the near future,” he said.

At any rate, there were numerous workers in the lot outside the expansive white-and-blue building on Tuesday. Morris said they are installing charging stations to serve the fleet of electric trucks that’ll be used to make package deliveries. Those charging stations necessitated the Rocky Mountain Power extension of the power line.

While the anticipated jobs have been cause for much of the interest from the public, the specter of increased truck traffic around the facility has also been a focus. Morris said delivery trucks would come and go from the facility during off-peak hours to minimize potential congestion in and around the 400 North/I-15 intersection, which gets busy at times. Delivery trucks would likely leave and be gone much of the day making deliveries, chiefly within Weber County, though an estimated 50 semitrailers a day are also expected with the packages ready for final distribution. “It’s the last-mile distribution center,” he said.

As speculation simmered about the Marriott-Slaterville facility, Retail Dive, a trade publication, reported in 2023 that it was one of many across the country Amazon had “canceled, closed or delayed” as the online company looked to trim costs.