Project Spotlight: New Staten Island Amazon Warehouse

E-commerce and online retail, which were already expanding rapidly over the past decade, have exploded since the start of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago. This trend spiked during the holiday season. To meet this massive increase in demand, internet-based companies like Amazon.com, Inc. have invested in brick-and-mortar infrastructure and hired new employees at a record pace.

Amazon is now the second-largest employer in the U.S and the largest on Staten Island, home to four warehouses in the Bloomfield neighborhood on the borough’s West Shore. One of the 975,000 sq. ft. warehouses is used by retail giant Ikea, and the other three (a 850,000 sq. ft. fulfillment center, a 450,000 sq. ft. “last mile” delivery station and a 975,000 sq. ft. sort center) are leased by Amazon. Together they make up the 200-acre Matrix Global Logistics Park, where construction began in 2016.

These facilities continue to employ over 4,000 part- and full-time workers for Amazon and 200 workers for Ikea, in addition to thousands of temporary jobs during construction. Most recently, in the middle of the pandemic, up to 75 electricians in Local Union No. 3, IBEW were employed by Arcadia Electrical to finish Amazon’s newest facility on Staten Island, its third in as many years.

“Based on the expanded work opportunity and daunting schedule, we hired approximately an additional 20 electricians to get it done,” Arcadia Superintendent Tom Garavuso said.
Arcadia Electrical was contracted by a NECA partner, Preferred Electric based in Bloomingdale, Illinois. The general contractor was Krusinski Construction from Oak Brook, Illinois. The project schedule was August 31 to October 16, 2020, and the on-time completion exceeded the expectations of both Amazon and the contractors, especially considering new restrictions and safety protocols in response to coronavirus.
“As an electrical contractor in Local 3, we are very proud of the Local 3 electricians who stepped up and worked safely, professionally and completed a very unrealistic schedule safely and on time,” Arcadia Superintendent Garavuso said.

Arcadia Electrical completed the following tasks in less than seven weeks:

• Provided complete conduit raceways and wire for 123 loading docks, including power receptacles, dock lighting, dock controllers, dock fan, dock red/green signal light and disconnect switches at every loading dock door.
• Provided security wallfields and completed communication raceways for security to approximately 30 door locations. Each door had card-access boxes, strobe boxes, motion-sensor boxes. Installed camera junction boxes and necessary conduit throughout the facility
• Provided complete wiring for remote break areas, receptacles, caged areas and water coolers.
• Provided feeders and power drops to the massive complexed conveyor system.
• Provided all necessary power, including complete conduit for the main data distribution hub, all power panels, ATS switches and transformers, security guards’ booths and remote trailers for employees, including Power and lighting to temp. restrooms
• Installed lighting (480V fixtures) and tested distribution panels and equipment throughout the 975,000 sq. ft facility.

The Arcadia Electrical crew grew to 75 electricians to achieve the demanding work schedule. General Foreman Tony Perselis, Foreman Osiris Hernandez and Project Manager Anthony Callegari oversaw the work on Phase One. Every day supply of equipment and material was handled by Arcadia’s Purchasing agent Krystal Donohue.

Arcadia Electrical staff on site (l-r): Superintendent Tom Garavuso, President Steve Gianotti,
“A” Journeyman Frank Guzzi (locker pup), General Foreman Tony Perselis and
Foreman Osiris Hernandez.

The Arcadia Electrical crew grew from 55 electricians to hiring 20 more in order to
complete the project on time, so the 975,000 sq. ft. warehouse opened in November
ahead of the busiest shopping season in Amazon history.