Amazon has made some cuts in its operations to save money, but an economic leader in Cumberland County says the company still plans to open its 1.3 million-square-foot fulfillment facility there.

The warehouse located at Military Business Park at 6309 Bragg Blvd. was supposed to open in either late January 2023 or early February 2023.

On Thursday, WRAL News spoke with Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Robert Van Geons about when the facility would open.

“We continue to speak with the company,” Van Geons said. “The main building is complete, and we look forward to [Amazon] announcing an opening date some time next year.”

The facility is expected to bring 500 full-time jobs to Fayetteville.

WRAL News reached out to Amazon with a request for comment on Thursday, but did not hear back.

Van Geons said Amazon has opened its distribution site at 1005 Dunn Road. The site is expected to provide about 200 jobs.

Some people told WRAL News they’ve already applied online for jobs at the Military Business Center location, but Van Geons said the company is months away from offering job applications.

“The company has been completely transparent with us throughout,” Van Geons said. “I think more of a concern for us is that we’ve seen a lot of online chatter that people are applying for jobs there when the facility is still months away from ever hiring.”

Amazon to create hundreds of jobs in Fayetteville; Johnston County next?

What to look for, for Amazon’s online job postings

WRAL News asked Van Geons whether Amazon job postings online are a scam. He said people should examine the source of the job posting.

“It’s hard to say what they’re seeing out there on a case-by-case basis, but we encourage people, if you’re looking for a job, to either apply with the company directly or go through a trusted agency like the North Carolina Workforce Development Boards,” Van Geons said.

Van Geons it shouldn’t cost money for someone to apply to a legitimate job posting.

“If it seems too good to be true with regards to pay or benefits, it very well may be,” Van Geons said.

Van Geons mentioned how NCWorks has put together a website of employment tools for job seekers in North Carolina.

“NCWorks has put out a recent warning about online job scams, and just to be very careful out there,” he said. “We want to make sure people are not sharing their information with someone who has ill intent.”

Van Geons estimated that Cumberland County businesses have more than 10,000 jobs available.