Amazon Announces Closure of Port St. Lucie Facility, Impacting Nearly 500 Workers

Amazon is expanding its logistics operations while optimizing its fulfillment network for improved delivery performance and profitability. However, this growth strategy involves restructuring its warehouse footprint, resulting in facility closures and workforce adjustments.

The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice indicating plans to close its PBI3 facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, effective September 17, affecting approximately 494 employees.

Amazon Closes Port St. Lucie Facility, Eliminating 494 Positions

The PBI3 facility located at 7600 LTC Parkway in Port St. Lucie will cease operations on September 17, with employee separations occurring on September 17 and December 17. The layoffs are classified as permanent.

Employees who secure alternative positions within Amazon before their separation dates will not be laid off. Affected workers will receive information about benefits and potential severance packages.

The majority of affected employees are fulfillment center associates, with 466 workers in the FC Associate I role impacted by the closure.

Combined Florida Closures Impact Over 1,100 Amazon Employees

This marks Amazon’s second major facility closure in Florida. The company previously shut down its TMB8 facility in Homestead, which ceased operations on July 2 with separations completed by September 30, affecting approximately 616 employees.

The Homestead site primarily impacted 506 FC Associate I employees, along with managers, transportation associates, safety personnel, medical representatives, and human resources staff.

Together, the Port St. Lucie and Homestead closures affect approximately 1,110 Amazon employees across Florida.

Both WARN notices indicate that separations are permanent, though affected employees who obtain internal transfers before their scheduled termination dates will retain employment. Workers may also have opportunities to return to the upgraded facilities upon completion.

The company plans to temporarily close the Port St. Lucie facility for approximately two years as part of a $200 million renovation and modernization project.

Amazon also plans to renovate the Homestead facility, which is expected to reopen in late 2028 with approximately 1,000 employees.

Workforce Reductions Coincide with Company Growth

While these facility closures differ from Amazon’s recent corporate layoffs, they align with the company’s broader initiative to streamline operations and enhance organizational efficiency. In January, Amazon announced plans to eliminate approximately 16,000 corporate positions, following roughly 14,000 layoffs announced in October 2025.

Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of People Experience and Technology, stated that these reductions aim to reduce bureaucracy, increase ownership, and strengthen organizational structure. The cuts affected teams across Amazon Web Services, Prime Video, human resources, and other corporate divisions.

Strategic Network Optimization Initiatives

Amazon continues evolving its expansive delivery network by segmenting U.S. fulfillment operations into regional systems that position inventory closer to consumers, thereby reducing delivery times and transportation costs while enabling more frequent same-day and next-day delivery services.

During the first half of 2026, Amazon delivered over 1 billion products through same-day or overnight service. The company has also expanded one-hour delivery to more than 90,000 products in hundreds of cities and three-hour delivery in over 2,000 cities and towns.

Amazon is advancing into ultra-fast delivery through Amazon Now, offering household products and essentials in as little as 30 minutes, entering a competitive market with Walmart, Target, and Instacart. Additionally, the company launched Amazon Supply Chain Services in May to provide logistics solutions for businesses beyond its marketplace.

CEO Andy Jassy views this opportunity as analogous to Amazon Web Services, which transformed from internal infrastructure into a substantial external business.

As Amazon enhances its warehouse capabilities, transportation systems, and delivery stations, selected facilities are being temporarily taken offline for modernization. Both Florida locations are expected to resume operations in 2028 with significant employment opportunities.

Current employees can avoid layoffs by transferring to other available positions within Amazon and may have opportunities to return to upgraded facilities after renovations conclude. However, the approximately two-year construction timeline creates employment gaps for workers unable or unwilling to transfer.

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