$30M change for never-opened Amazon warehouse in Tri-Cities. What we know

Amazon Inc. is investing $30 million to remodel its never-opened "Project Pearl" warehouse in east Pasco, a permit recently approved by the city of Pasco. The building, one of two million-square-foot fulfillment centers built four years ago near Sacajawea State Park, will be redeveloped to support Amazon's local operations network with added automation, conveyors, and security upgrades, suggesting fewer employees than initially planned. The companion facility, "Project Oyster," underwent a similar repurposing in 2024, shifting from a planned fulfillment center to an "Inbound Cross Dock" (IDX) for processing incoming merchandise. Both projects reflect Amazon's pivot from its original fulfillment center model in the Tri-Cities. In a separate and significant development, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is preparing to construct a cluster of data centers approximately 10 miles southeast of Pasco. AWS recently finalized a $34 million acquisition of 500 acres at the Wallula Gap Business Park from the Port of Walla Walla, a deal initially conducted under the alias "Advance Phase LLC." The company plans to build 16 data centers at this site to bolster its artificial intelligence initiatives, marking a major expansion of its infrastructure in the region.