Amazon has opened its first Puget Sound area Flex delivery station in Seattle’s Roosevelt Square, occupying space previously operated by Bartell Drugs.
The facility represents Amazon’s expansion of its Flex delivery network, which relies on independent contractors using personal vehicles to deliver packages in local areas. The Roosevelt Square location provides Amazon with strategic positioning in North Seattle to serve surrounding neighbourhoods with faster delivery times.
The former Bartell Drugs space, vacated after the pharmacy chain was acquired and subsequently consolidated, has been adapted to accommodate Amazon’s logistics operations. The transformation from retail pharmacy to delivery station reflects broader commercial real estate trends where traditional retail spaces are repurposed for last-mile delivery infrastructure.
Amazon Flex stations differ from the company’s larger fulfilment centres and delivery stations by serving as staging areas where independent contractors collect packages for delivery rather than facilities where inventory is stored long-term or sorted from incoming shipments. These smaller footprint facilities enable Amazon to position delivery capacity closer to customers, reducing transit times and expanding same-day or next-day delivery coverage.
The Roosevelt Square location benefits from proximity to major arterials and residential density that make it efficient for Flex drivers to complete multiple deliveries per route. The neighbourhood’s central position relative to North Seattle, the University District, and adjacent communities creates a delivery radius encompassing substantial population and order volume.
The opening continues Amazon’s steady expansion of delivery infrastructure across the Puget Sound region, where the company maintains its global headquarters and extensive operations. The local delivery network includes numerous facilities of varying sizes and functions, from massive fulfilment centres processing millions of items to neighbourhood stations supporting final delivery.
Bartell Drugs, a Seattle institution for more than a century before its acquisition by Rite Aid in 2020, operated the Roosevelt Square location as part of its chain serving Seattle neighbourhoods. Rite Aid’s subsequent bankruptcy and store closures left numerous former Bartell locations vacant, creating opportunities for new tenants to occupy spaces in established retail corridors.
The adaptation of former pharmacy space for delivery operations requires modifications to accommodate vehicle traffic, package staging areas, and operational workflows distinct from retail pharmacy functions. Loading zones, driver check-in areas, and package organisation systems replace pharmacy counters, merchandise displays, and customer service areas in the reconfigured space.
Amazon Flex workers, classified as independent contractors rather than employees, use a smartphone app to claim delivery blocks, collect packages from stations, and navigate delivery routes. This gig economy model provides Amazon with delivery capacity that scales with demand whilst transferring vehicle ownership, fuel costs, insurance, and maintenance expenses to contractors.
The Roosevelt Square Flex station opening may signal Amazon’s intention to expand this delivery model across additional Puget Sound locations. The company has previously opened Flex stations in suburban areas but the urban Seattle location reflects confidence in the model’s viability in dense neighbourhoods with parking constraints and traffic congestion.
Local impacts of the facility include increased delivery vehicle traffic in Roosevelt Square, potential employment opportunities for residents seeking flexible work arrangements, and faster delivery times for customers in the delivery radius. Community responses to Amazon delivery facilities vary, with some residents appreciating employment options and improved service whilst others raise concerns about traffic, parking impacts, and working conditions for gig economy workers.
The Roosevelt neighbourhood has experienced substantial development and demographic change in recent years, driven partly by the light rail station that opened nearby. Amazon’s decision to locate a Flex station in the area acknowledges the neighbourhood’s evolution and the delivery demand generated by new residential development.
