Sept 17, 2026
Bakersfield is having a major industrial moment.
Two announcements this week make the opportunity especially clear:
Amazon has acquired a newly constructed 1,088,047-square-foot Class A distribution facility at Wonderful Logistics Center in Shafter. The building includes 40-foot clear height, 216 dock-high doors, hundreds of trailer stalls and expandable 4,000-amp electrical service.
This is Amazon’s third location at the logistics center, bringing its total footprint there to more than 3 million square feet. The campus now exceeds 17 million square feet of operating warehouse space, with 23 tenants and approximately 13,000 jobs.
At the same time, Ross Stores selected Bakersfield for a new 1.75-million-square-foot processing and distribution center near East Belle Terrace and Mount Vernon Avenue. The project represents approximately $500 million in investment and is expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs.
From a broker’s perspective, these announcements send a powerful message:
Bakersfield and Shafter are no longer simply competing for industrial users. We are competing successfully for major institutional capital, national logistics operators and long-term corporate commitments.
The fundamentals are compelling:
• Strategic access to Highways 99 and 58, I-5 and major California markets • Available land for large-scale industrial development • Lower occupancy and operating costs compared with many coastal markets • A growing labor force and substantial employment base • Proven infrastructure and an expanding logistics ecosystem • Local leadership willing to streamline development and collaborate with users
These projects will create demand far beyond the buildings themselves—including truck terminals, IOS yards, suppliers, packaging companies, maintenance operations, automation providers, cold storage, food-related users and smaller logistics facilities.
For developers, landowners and investors, the takeaway is simple:
The time to study Bakersfield is before the next wave of demand fully arrives—not after every major parcel has been absorbed.
Bakersfield is building momentum, and the market is increasingly proving that it can support large-scale industrial investment.
Exciting news for Bakersfield and the entire Central Valley.
Source: Eric Powers (7) 2 MAJOR DEALS IN 1 WEEK… BAKERSFIELD, CA. | LinkedIn