Amazon Silent On Plans For Skokie Trucking Facility

SKOKIE, IL — Amazon hopes to operate a trucking and freight transportation business in a recently constructed warehouse at the corner of Howard Street and Linder Avenue in Skokie, according to a legal notice from the village.

In 2019, California-based developer Panattoni purchased 7.1 acres of land in the 7500 block of Linder Avenue. The developer demolished three existing buildings on the site, combined them into a single parcel and built a speculative 140,000-square-foot warehouse at the site.

Panattoni recently filed a request on behalf of Amazon with the Skokie Plan Commission for a special use permit to operate a "truck and freight transportation service" that will use the entire site, according to village staff.

The property is located in an M1 zoning district, which allows for truck and freight transportation only with a special use permit, according to village code. Trucking facilities are a permitted use only in the M3 zoning district.

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Amazon has also requested that the Plan Commission issue a determination about the number of parking spaces needed. Village code calls for the commission to calculate off-street parking requirements for truck and freight facilities.

The structure includes 32-foot ceilings and at least 32 exterior docks, according to marketing material for the property, which also indicates the developer has secured a 6b property tax incentive from Cook County. The site includes a parking lot with room for about 140 cars, according to the developer.

An Amazon spokesperson told Patch the company is involved in three Skokie developments — two more than have been publicly disclosed — but did not respond to repeated requests about the company's plans for the Linder Avenue site.

Panattoni representatives have not responded to repeated requests for comment. Any information received from the developer will be added here.

A spokesperson for Skokie said village staff would release additional information about Amazon's special use permit request Friday.

The property was formerly the site of Prairie Seating, which manufactured custom cushions for use in wheelchairs. It was purchased by the Swedish company Permobil in 2017.

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May 5 Update: Following the publication of this article, village staff said the applicant requested to delay the special use permit request hearing until a Plan June 3 meeting of the Plan Commission. Amazon representatives have yet to respond to requests for more information about plans for the site.