Dutchess agency OKs Amazon warehouse tax breaks

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. » The Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency granted tax breaks on Wednesday for construction of a 629,000-square foot warehouse/distribution center in East Fishkill that will be used by Amazon.

The facility, to be constructed by USEF Tioranda, LLC, will lease the building to Amazon. The principals of Tioranda are the same ones building the one-million-square foot Amazon facility in Montgomery.

Dutchess IDA Board Member Al Torreggiani wanted assurance the developer will adhere to the agency’s workforce policy that 80 percent of the work hours would be handled by residents of the Hudson Valley.

“We are aware that a lot of companies they are bringing in, they are from out-of-state companies and I think one is actually a local company and sometimes they will utilize outof-state values and come in here and try to sell those values to the local contractors, which they run into sometimes difficulties in doing so,” he said.

Development company official John DiCola assured IDA members they would comply with the policy.

“We strive to always adhere to the labor policy and to hire local whenever we can,” he said.

The financial incentives for the $135.5 million project include a payment-in-lieu of taxes and sales tax and mortgage tax exemptions.

The project will be developed at the former west campus IBM site in East Fishkill.

IDA Executive Director Sarah Lee noted that the property is currently assessed at $5 million and the PILOT agreement would kick in after the full tax rate is paid.