Amazon is building its first fulfillment center in New York City

Sarah Jacobs

Amazon is landing in the five boroughs.

The ecommerce giant announced on Wednesday that it's building its first fulfillment center in New York City, in the borough of Staten Island. According to the release, the warehouse will measure 855,000 square feet and provide over 2,250 new jobs in the area.

The workers will pack and ship orders to the tri-state area and beyond, working in conjunction with Amazon's team of robots.

The Staten Island center will also be the first for Amazon in the state of New York. The retailer currently has five centers in New Jersey and one in central Connecticut.

Amazon recently hosted a nationwide jobs fair in support of its goal to hire 50,000 new fulfillment employees this year. It allowed prospective employees to tour 10 warehouses across the country and apply for jobs in person. It received 20,000 applications for the positions on August 2 alone. The jobs start at $12 an hour but come with a full set of benefits, including tuition reimbursement, 401(k) matching, and restricted stock options.

NOW WATCH: A look inside the last standing Kmart SuperCenter