Interest in commercial real estate near the new Amazon fulfillment center has seen a “tremendous increase” as of late.

That’s according to Will Chadwick, a partner of Elifin Realty overseeing retail sales and leasing.

Chadwick tells Daily Report that retailers in particular have moved to increase their presence since the fulfillment center was first announced. In recent years, the area surrounding the facility has welcomed Family Dollar, Northern Tool, Starbucks, Take 5 Car Wash and WhiteWater Express Car Wash. Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers recently expanded its storefront to add a second drive-thru lane, and construction on an Aldi supermarket is ongoing.

“A lot of the interest we’re seeing right now is coming from retailers that want to capitalize on the traffic coming into the area,” Chadwick says.

Though retailers may be the biggest drivers of demand, Chadwick says industrial and multifamily developers have also shown some interest in the area’s larger tracts. Notably, a 240,000-square-foot distribution warehouse is being developed near the intersection of North Airway and Tom drives.

Located at the site of the former Cortana Mall, the Amazon fulfillment center officially opened last week. The online shopping giant has pledged to hire at least 1,000 full-time employees making a minimum of $15 per hour to staff the facility, though only a portion of those workers have been hired thus far. Job openings can be found here.

Chadwick says the fulfillment center’s economic impact will be measured not only by the people who come to live and work in the area but also by the tax base that new businesses will generate.

“We’re converting undeveloped tracts that have been there for a long time into businesses that will drive sales tax revenue,” Chadwick says.

The fulfillment center is expected to have an economic impact of about $2.9 billion over the next 20 years, according to the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

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