5 Bay Area Cities Submit Joint Proposal For New Amazon Headquarters
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – The cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont, Concord and Richmond submitted a proposal Thursday to bring online retail giant Amazon's second corporate headquarters to the Bay Area.
Amazon announced plans in early September to invest more than $5 billion in construction costs and operational expenses at what they're calling "HQ2."
The company is looking for a metropolitan area with a population greater than 1 million people and a stable, business-friendly environment. They're also seeking locations with the potential to attract and retain talent in communities that "think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options," according to a statement issued last month.
Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the business advocacy group Bay Area Council, thinks Amazon might find what it's looking for in the region.
"We are the world's innovation capitol," Wunderman said in a statement Thursday. "We offer top talent, top universities and large development sites connected by a rich network of mass transit and other transportation systems."
"Our competitive advantages are unparalleled," Wunderman added.
The proposal, which is more than 150 pages in length, features a number of development sites that are accessible by mass transit, including Oakland's Coliseum City complex, Fremont's Warm Springs Innovation District, the Concord Naval Weapons Station and San Francisco's Hunters Point shipyard.
The proposal includes plans to build 45,000 housing units over the coming years and decades to accommodate Amazon's workforce, which is expected to be around 50,000 workers. It also includes a number of local and state tax credits as well as other incentives.
According to the Bay Area Council, Amazon already occupies roughly 3 million square feet of real estate in the Bay Area.
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