JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Online giant Amazon.com announced Wednesday morning that it plans to expand to the River City with a more than 800,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Jacksonville.

A spokeswoman for JaxUSA said the site will be along International Airport Boulevard and Pecan Park Road, just north of Interstate 295.

Amazon will create more than 1,500 full-time jobs at the site when the fulfillment center opens. About 500 of those jobs will pay more than $50,000 a year.

“Becoming a member of the Jacksonville community is very exciting for us as we grow our presence in Florida. We’re proud to be creating more than 1,500 full-time jobs to join the thousands we currently employ across the state,” said Akash Chauhan, vice president of Amazon’s North America Operations. “We look forward to continue building relationships in the community to make Jacksonville home.”

At the facility, Amazon employees will pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and consumer goods.

Associates will work alongside innovative technologies to fulfill customer orders.

“It is great news that Amazon continues to invest in Florida and create new jobs for our families," Gov. Rick Scott said. "I look forward to their continued success in Jacksonville and across our state.”

The city enticed Amazon to Jacksonville with about $18 million in tax breaks. The economic impact on the city is expected to be about $200 million.

“This is a huge win for our city and citizens,” said Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry. “I am incredibly excited about the opportunities Amazon is bringing to our city, and specifically northwest Jacksonville, a community that will now serve as host to an international, state-of-the art fulfillment and distribution center. Their entry brings more than 1,500 new jobs, strengthens Jacksonville’s position as a destination for international business, and contributes to increased economic development growth and improved quality of life.”

Full-time employees at Amazon receive competitive hourly wages and a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, 401(k) and company stock awards starting on day one, as well as generous maternity and parental leave benefits.

Amazon offers employees innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pre-pay 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.

Since the program’s launch four years ago, more than 7,000 employees in 10 countries have pursued degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, to name a few.

"It is the largest single job announcement at one time in our history," said Jerry Mallot, president of JAXUSA Partnership. “I mean, we've had a few that were 1,000 and that's a great deal. The second big deal is where it is going up on the Northside. It is creating jobs where we probably have the greatest need for jobs, so that is a big deal."

Mallot said construction will begin soon, and the shipping center should be up and running in about 14 months. The new location means people in Northeast Florida will get their orders faster, possibly even same-day deliveries.

To learn more about working at an Amazon fulfillment center, interested candidates can visit the company's website.