Amazon has begun construction on a massive 3.1 million square-foot distribution facility in Ottawa’s Barrhaven neighbourhood, marking the global giant third fulfillment-centre project in the city.

The five-storey building will rise on a site near Bill Leathem Drive and Leikin Drive, spanning three parcels of land. According to city documents, it will include 59 loading docks, a fenced truck yard for 482 trailers, and nearly 61,000 square metres on the ground floor dedicated to operations and office space, CTV reported.

Amazon purchased the property for $109.1 million from Broccolini, the firm’s development partner in Canada, according to a CBRE report. Although Amazon usually leases its Canadian distribution facilities, the company opted to purchase this site instead.

CBRE said the acquisition reaffirms Amazon’s commitment to the Ottawa region.

CBRE Canada noted that “their recent acquisition of the property from Broccolini for $109.1 million reaffirms the company’s commitment to the region given its decisions to close its Quebec warehouse. (In a controversial move, Amazon decided to close its Quebec mega-warehouses and revert to a previously used third-party logistics system.)

The facility, which follows the launch of Amazon’s first Ottawa centre in 2019, will serve customers nationwide, according to CTV. Amazon currently operates two fulfillment centres and two delivery stations in the city.