Amazon plans to open another local warehouse on the site of a long-closed grocery store in Carle Place, local officials said Thursday.
The internet retailing giant is working with a local developer to convert the former Waldbaum’s supermarket at 2 Westbury Ave. into a distribution center.
“They are looking to bring one of their facilities there,” said Viviana Russell, a Town of North Hempstead councilwoman, referring to the Carle Place property.
Russell said she met with Amazon representatives and advised them to speak with the Carle Place Civic Association and other community groups about potential traffic congestion.
“Westbury Avenue is very busy,” she said. “Whatever they can do with regard to their operation to make sure it doesn’t increase the traffic along Glen Cove Road and is not disruptive to the residents of Carle Place and Westbury, the better.”
Two Amazon.com Inc. spokeswomen said Thursday they had no information about the planned facility.
Nassau County officials said the retailer had submitted documents for necessary approvals.
“Nassau County can confirm that we have received a site plan for a last-mile location for Amazon,” said Christine Geed, a spokeswoman for County Executive Laura Curran. “Nassau County is very excited about that.”
“Last mile” refers to the final leg of the process to deliver goods to customers’ homes.
An official at the county’s Industrial Development Agency said it has not received an application for tax breaks from Amazon or the property’s owner.
The shuttered supermarket is owned by Brisbane-Steel Carle Place LLC, according to Dec. 23 property records.
Amazon already has two other facilities in Nassau: 201 Grumman Road West and 80 Grumman Road West, both in Bethpage, and both owned by developer Steel Equities of Bethpage.
Steel Equities officials didn’t immediately respond on Thursday to a request for comment on the new Amazon project, which was first reported by Long Island Business News.
The Carle Place Civic Association said it has concerns about the warehouse plan.
“We are concerned about the traffic since it’s in a highly congested area,” said association president Ursula Babino. “But [we are] welcoming a nonvacant store in the area. We have quite a few vacant businesses in the area,” she said.
Babino said an Amazon representative who attended a recent association meeting told the group the retailer’s warehouse could have less traffic than the site had when the Waldbaum’s store was open.
— with Victor Ocasio, Daysi Calavia-Robertson and Tory N. Parrish
James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.
