THORNTON, Colo. — Amazon announced Monday it plans to open a second fulfillment center with a robotics facility in Thornton.

The new 2.4-million-square-foot center will create 1,500 full-time jobs, the electronic commerce and cloud-computing giant said.

The three-story building will be on about 80 acres at the northeast corner of Interstate 25 and East 144th Avenue.

Construction will begin later this month with the center expected to open in August 2018.

“We are excited to continue growing in Colorado with the new Amazon Robotics fulfillment center in Thornton,” Akash Chauhan, Amazon’s vice president of North American operations, said in a statement.

“This facility will utilize Amazon Robotics, vision systems, and more than 20 years’ worth of software and mechanical innovations. We are grateful for the support we have received from state and local leaders who have helped make this project possible.”

Amazon is building a fulfillment center in Aurora that will create 1,000 jobs. The Thornton facility will handle smaller products such as books, toys and electronics.

“The City of Thornton is extremely excited Amazon chose to locate this state-of-the-art facility in Thornton,” Mayor Heidi Williams said.

“Amazon’s commitment to the communities where their fulfillment centers are located is impressive. They will be the largest employer in Thornton and represent the cutting edge of innovation in the e-commerce market.”

“We are pleased to continue working with Amazon as it grows and creates jobs in Colorado,” Gov. John Hickenlooper said in a statement. “Our talented workforce will have the opportunity to learn new, valuable skills with Amazon and work alongside innovative technology.

“We look forward to the great jobs with competitive wages and comprehensive benefits that Amazon will bring to the state.”