Empire State Building, 1 WTC Glow Orange As NYC Turns On The Charm To Attract Amazon

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City is pulling out all the stops in its effort to get Amazon to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

The Empire State Building and One World Trade Center glowed Amazon orange Wednesday night to lure the online retail giant.

New York City is one of dozens of cities bidding for Amazon's second headquarters.

"What we're offering to Amazon is the greatest, most diverse and most talented workforce in the entire world," said James Patchett, president of the city's Economic Development Corporation.

The state, not the city, has offered to extend tax benefits to Amazon, although the company has a history of minimizing its tax bills, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.

The deadline to submit proposals is Thursday.

More than 50 cities across the U.S. and Canada have entered the $5 billion bidding war for the Amazon HQ2. Some of the biggest include Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Denver and Toronto.

Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island as well as several cities in New Jersey, including Newark, Camden, Jersey City and New Brunswick, have all submitted bids.

Amazon, which is based in Seattle and has its headquarters there, has said its second headquarters would bring 50,000 jobs along with it.

"These are 50,000 good-paying jobs," Patchett said. "I consider that a great opportunity for New York City."

The company will announce its decision next year.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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