Employment at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Akron could be double what has previously been reported, if comments made by Barberton Mayor William Judge at a recent council meeting become reality.

During the mayor’s report section of the meeting Tuesday night, Judge told council and attendees that his administration has been in touch with Amazon and the company will need a lot more workers at the center than first thought.

"The job figure has changed," the mayor said. "... It was 1,500 jobs. That’s changed to 3,000."

Although the 700,000-square-foot facility at the former site of Rolling Acres Mall is in Akron, it is only about a quarter-mile from the border with Barberton. It is expected to draw much of its workforce from the Magic City and surrounding communities.

The mayor did not immediately respond to an email and phone message on Friday seeking more information.

Adele Dorfner Roth, director of development for the city of Akron, said Friday that increased employment expectations for the center wouldn’t be unexpected.

"I wouldn’t be surprised, the way Amazon is growing," Dorfner Roth said.

She cautioned, however, that the center isn’t expected to open for more than a year and Amazon’s needs may change by then.

"Eighteen months is a long time," she said.

Dorfner Roth said that because Akron’s unemployment rate is so low — about 4.4% at the close of 2019 — Amazon will need to build at least some of its workforce from Barberton and other municipalities in Summit County.

"Amazon has told us all along that we could have 1,000 to 3,000 employees there," said Dorfner Roth. But she said she hasn’t heard a clear pronouncement from the online retailer that the original figure of about 1,500 should be changed.

Still, she said, "I would not be surprised if the number is larger."

Barberton Councilman Thomas "Bebe" Heitic said he was at Tuesday’s meeting, but didn’t know where the mayor got the revised employment figure.

Although Barberton residents working at an Akron business wouldn’t provide income tax revenue to the Magic City, it would still help the city’s economy, Heitic said.

"The goal would be to promote more stable residency here and encourage buying homes instead of renting," he said. "When you’re grounded in a city, you take more pride in the city."

Residents who land jobs at the Fulfillment Center will spend and invest much of their earnings at Barberton businesses.

Heitic said the mayor and his administration have been working with Akron Metro to realign bus routes in anticipation of the center’s opening.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Judge said he’s working to see that his city’s residents get a good shot at Amazon jobs.

"We want to do everything we can, working with Amazon and the county and JobsOhio to get Barberton residents employed there," he said.

Alan Ashworth can be reached at 330-996-3859 or emailed at aashworth@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.