(Missourinet) – The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) says Rhode Island-based CVS Pharmacy’s massive new distribution center in Kansas City will create about 315 new jobs.

Kansas City Councilman Dan Fowler says the 762,000 square foot facility is located in the Skyport industrial park, which is near I-29 and just three miles from Kansas City International Airport.

“It shows that we are able to use something like this and business is able to use it to maximize Kansas City’s position as a transportation network,” Fowler says.

Councilman Fowler says the distribution center will support more than 500 CVS Pharmacy stores across the Midwest.

“Kansas City is ideally located to have them (CVS) in this facility in this area, because this distribution warehouse will serve a multi-state area,” says Fowler.

Fowler says the center is expected to start with about 50 employees.

He tells Missourinet the warehousing and distribution jobs will pay well and will have excellent benefits.

“They would be in the upper 30s to low 40s because the facility, and that would be an average, qualifies for Missouri Works benefits, so they have to be in that range to get there,” Fowler says.

Governor Mike Parson (R), Platte County Presiding Commissioner Rob Schieber, Councilman Fowler, CVS Health Senior Vice President Jeff Pilof and others will speak at Friday’s ribbon-cutting, which is scheduled for 1:30 Friday afternoon.

Fowler serves on the Kansas City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

CVS, which is the nation’s largest pharmacy health care provider, released its second quarter earnings earlier this month.

Net revenues increased about 2.2 percent, to $46.7 billion.

CVS’ website says five million customers are served daily by CVS Pharmacy.