Amazon is one step closer to transforming Richardson into a drone delivery hub — and speeding up deliveries in the process. On March 18, the Richardson City Planning Commission gave the go-ahead to Amazon's updated plan, which now includes the green light for drones to take off from their distribution center.
Next, the city council will have the final say before drones can start zipping packages to your door. Get ready for deliveries at jet speed — well, closer to 70 mph actually.
What This Means
A proposed drone hub would be built adjacent to Amazon's current distribution center at 3051 Research Drive The facility will feature a fenced-in launch area, with two modular buildings added for battery charging, storage and maintenance. These enhancements would support the operations of Amazon's Prime Air drones, which are designed to provide fast, reliable deliveries to local customers.
The Zipline drones will be carrying a maximum load of five pounds, which is perfect for your small but mighty deliveries — like a bag of chips and a soda, or maybe your nephew's birthday present you forgot to order. And they’ll zip around a seven-and-a-half-mile radius, so no need to worry about your drone flying to the moon... yet.
What’s Next
If the Richardson City Council approves the request during the April meeting, the Federal Aviation Administration will perform an environmental assessment to review the required infrastructure and other factors associated with drone operations.
North Texas Is Pioneering Drone Delivery
As Local Profile previously reported, North Texas is rapidly becoming drone delivery central. In late 2021, Wing launched its first hub at Frisco Station, partnering with Walgreens to offer the first commercial drone delivery service in a major U.S. metro area. Expanding further in August 2023, Wing teamed up with Walmart to cover central and eastern Frisco, starting with the Walmart Supercenter on Preston Road.
And drone delivery in North Texas is still soaring to new heights. In December 2024, Wing partnered with DoorDash and Brookfield Properties to launch ultra-fast drone delivery at Stonebriar Centre in Frisco and Hulen Mall in Fort Worth — making it the first of its kind in American shopping malls. Now, over 50 merchants offer drone deliveries via the DoorDash app, with Wing’s drones capable of delivering in as little as 15 minutes.
Looking ahead, Wing plans to expand its network of drone delivery nests from 25 to 75 locations across North Texas in 2025, adding new sites in shopping centers and malls. With extended operating hours, the region’s drone delivery service is growing fast. Experts like University of North Texas’ Kamesh Namuduri, an electrical engineering professor, believe this is just the beginning, as North Texas may even bring unmanned air taxis and air ambulances into the skies by 2030. “The next five years are going to be very exciting,” Namuduri previously told Local Profile.
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