Amazon is closing its fulfillment center on Goose Island in River North and laying off 211 employees, the company reported in a state filing Monday.
The company will support affected employees in finding new positions “within Amazon, including at nearby operations sites,” said Sam Stephenson, a spokesperson for Amazon, in a statement Friday.
“We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees, customers, and partners,” Stephenson said. “As part of that effort, we’ve decided not to renew the lease at this facility in Chicago, Illinois.”
Amazon reported the shuttering of its 1111 N. Cherry Ave. plant in accordance with the Illinois’ Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires companies to report certain mass layoffs and plant closures two months in advance. The company said customers will not be impacted by the plant’s closure.
The plant opened in 2015 and was one of the first within city limits, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. ”]
The company will start laying off employees on November 13, according to the company’s state filing.
The news follows Amazon’s opening of a delivery facility in October of last year, after drawing months of protests, in West Humboldt Park.
