Baltimore Set To Compete As Amazon Looks For 2nd Headquarters
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Amazon, bursting out of its Seattle headquarters, is hunting for a second home, and Baltimore has thrown its hat into the race.
Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) President William H. Cole announced that Baltimore will compete for Amazon's second headquarters.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says he wants this second headquarters to be an equal to their Seatlle headquarters.
The company said Thursday that it will spend more than $5 billion to build another headquarters in North America to house as many as 50,000 employees.
Amazon announced it wants to be near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; be able to attract top technical talent; be within 45 minutes of an international airport; have direct access to mass transit; and wants to be able to expand that headquarters to as much as 8 million square feet in the next decade.
"It's awesome. Great experience get to meet new people, have a wonderful time," Amazon employee Tavon Williams said.
"Everybody is excited. So lets stay excited, lets push forward and make it happen," Pugh said.
Pugh said the City offers plenty to make itself stand out from the competition, including Baltimore County, and the State.
"The colleges, the universities, our proximity to New York and Washington D.C., it's doesn't get much better," she said.
While Maryland seems like an ideal contender with distribution centers already in Baltimore and North East, there is some stiff competition from other major cities like Boston, Dallas, Philly, and New York.
Employees that work at the distribution center in Baltimore are crossing their fingers the company buy the City's pitch.
"The City is a hard-working city, the economy is here, we just needs the jobs," Amazon employee Curtis Boston said.
"The City would be really rebuilt if something like that happens, really energized if something like that happens," Williams said.
Amazon is looking for the following:
- A metropolitan area with more than a million people.
- A stable and business friendly environment.
- Communities that think big and creatively.
Port Covington is considered to be a prime location if Baltimore is chosen as Amazon's location for its second headquarters.
Proposals are due in October. The company is expected to announce the winning city sometime next year.
"Baltimore's strategic location in the Mid-Atlantic and its accessibility via highway, rail, port and air, make us a great fit for Amazon's second headquarters. Also, we've worked with Amazon in the past when they opened their distribution center and they know that we can be a good partner," said William H. Cole, president & CEO of BDC.
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