The Jefferson County Commission on Thursday approved an incentives package for an Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer.

Commissioner David Carrington said Amazon is planning to build a $325 million advanced robotic fulfillment center in Bessemer. The center will employ up to 1,500 workers. Employees will receive full benefits and an average wage of $14.65 an hour.

"They are ready to move dirt," he said. "They are planning to open by Labor Day of next year."

While county commissioners spoke as if the project is a done-deal, all of the potential incentives haven't been approved yet and contracts haven't been signed.

Bessemer Mayor Ken Gulley said the state and Alabama Power have also offered incentives to Amazon.

The last incentives will come from Bessemer, he said. The Bessemer City Council will vote on those incentives on Tuesday.

Gulley said the Amazon project would be the single largest investment in the city. He expected the project to draw more companies and residents to Bessemer.

Carrington said he expected the deal with Amazon to be complete in 10 days.

Amazon is expected to build a 855,000-square-foot, four-story fulfillment center on 133 acres of U.S. Steel-owned property off Powder Plant Road near Bessemer City High School and Alabama Splash Adventure.

Carrington said construction could start this month.

The commission agreed to pay an amount not to exceed $3.3 million to fund certain roadway improvements and/or reimburse Amazon.com Services for a portion of its capital investment if it decides to locate on the Bessemer property, according to a public notice.

The development of the property includes installing and equipping certain items of machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures, and other personal property at the facility necessary for Amazon to conduct customer fulfillment operations, the notice stated.

Carrington said the investment happened because of Birmingham's #bringatob campaign to try to lure Amazon's second corporate headquarters. He said the campaign, which included three gigantic Amazon Prime boxes, captured the company's attention for a fulfillment center instead.

The Bessemer City Council at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 12 will consider incentives that include reimbursing Amazon for a portion of its capital investment by making quarterly payments to the company over a 10-year period, according to a public notice. The payments would be based on the number of Amazon's full-time employees, and the occupational tax collected by the company from these employees and remitted to the city of Bessemer.

If approved, the incentive would be calculated as follows: 50 percent of the occupational tax revenues earned on up to one to 2,000 full-time employees; 55 percent earned on 2,001 to 3,000 full-time employees; 60 percent earned on 3,001 to 4,000 full-time employees; and 65 percent earned on 4,000-plus full-time employees.

In the deal, Bessemer would also limit all of its permit fees for Amazon to $200,000 and cap its annual business license tax at $5,000, according to the public notice. The city would also agree to partner with Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority to construct and operate an additional transit stop near the site. The city would also agree to provide certain recruitment, screening, and training services.