Amazon Says “No” To Westphalia

By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, [email protected]

In late July, the AFRO reported that Amazon was expected to open a fulfillment center in the growing Westphalia Towne Center area, however, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said that the company no longer plans to use that location.

“I was informed by the company that planned to build a fulfillment center at the Westphalia Towne Center that they would no longer be pursuing that site,” Alsobrooks said according to a press release sent to the AFRO. “It is our intention to work with the company to identify more suitable locations in the county where they may be able to bring their products.

After the AFRO released its first report on the fulfilment center coming to Westphalia Towne Center, residents were not pleased. “It’s kind of disturbing,” says Jerry Porter, Westphalia resident. “Everybody thought that they were getting retail. There’s people who invested years before we did that are still waiting for just a grocery store, and now they’re going to have a big warehouse that they’re going to have to look at from their property,” Porter adds.

Alsobrooks says she plans to work with the county to bring more retail to the Westphalia Towne Center as originally promised. “To those who purchased homes at Westphalia and were promised certain things, I want you to know that my administration will work with the developer to help bring the retail, dining and other amenities you were promised,” Alsobrooks states.

The county executive promises to work toward bringing quality businesses that will strengthen the overall economy of the area adding, “Prince George’s County is open for business and we will continue working to attract quality businesses to the County that add value to our economy and provide amenities to our citizens.”