SCHODACK — Amazon's plans for a massive distribution center on Route 9 in Schodack took a major leap forward after a developer acquired the 115 acres needed for the $100 million building from two local families.

Scannell Properties of Indianapolis paid $3.1 million for the two vacant parcels that make up the site, according to deeds filed earlier this week in Rensselaer County. That's more than six times the market value assessed by the town for tax purposes.

The transaction paves the way for Scannell, which has built Amazon other sites around the country, to begin construction of the 1 million-square-foot facility, which is projected to employ 800 people once complete.

However, it's not slowing efforts by a group of about 50 households who live next to the proposed Amazon site to try and force Scannell to conduct a more in-depth environmental review of the project before it moves forward. The town has 15,000 residents.

The group, known as the Birchwood Association, sued the planning board and Scannell over concerns they have about the potential impacts the project could have on traffic, water quality and public safety. They have also argued that the proposed location violates zoning regulations.

A lawsuit the group filed in state supreme court in Rensselaer County last summer was dismissed earlier this year by Supreme Court Justice Patrick McGrath, who concluded the Planning Board was within its rights to approve the project without the additional review, known as an Environmental Impact Statement.

The group has since appealed McGrath's decision and is scheduled to argue its case in October before the Appellate Division's Third Judicial Department in Albany.

"Birchwood remains fully committed and (we) are pressing ahead with the appeal," Bob Jansing, the association's vice president said Thursday. "We remain confident in our judicial system and wait our day in court."

Citing the pending appeal, Scannell spokeswoman Andrea Martone declined to comment on the purchase of the site. Amazon, which would lease the facility from Scannell, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The land Scannell bought includes a tract that had been owned by the family of local homebuilder Burdette Otterbeck but never developed. The adjoining parcel that was purchased was owned by the Beaudoin family that runs Samson's Bar on Route 9 just south of the Amazon site.

Political leaders in Rensselaer County have been mostly dismissive of the Birchwood Association's concerns and have embraced the Amazon project as a job creator that will open up long-vacant land along the Route 9 corridor for development after years of economic stagnation.

For instance, a vacant 6.4 acre parcel just north of the Amazon site is currently being marketed for lease at $100,000 per acre per year.

The listing broker says the site would be ideal for retail, office, or apartments expected to be built to serve Amazon and the influx of workers and truck drivers the facility will require.

Scannell is also seeking at least $13 million in state and local tax breaks through the county's industrial development agency.

Bob Pasinella, the IDA's executive director, declined comment when reached Thursday, citing a non-disclosure agreement that remains in place with the developer.

Meanwhile, in addition to its legal fight, the Birchwood Association has written to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos about their concerns over the project, including the fact that the warehouse would be built over an aquifer that provides well water to local homes.

"Unfortunately, Scannell and the Town of Schodack Planning Board do not appear to be guided by the same operating principles as Amazon," the association wrote in an April 26 letter to Bezos. "We are sure that it is unlikely that you are aware of these issues, but we thought that you'd like to know about the actions of agents/partners of Amazon, as they seem wholly inconsistent with the values espoused by you and Amazon."

Amazon's executive customer relations team replied in an email last month that the letter was "forwarded to the correct team internally," although the Birchwood Association has had no contact with the company since.