Worcester left off Amazon's HQ2 short list
Amazon
Amazon shortlisted these 20 areas -- not including Worcester -- for its HQ2.
Amazon on Thursday announced 20 metropolitan areas it is considering for its second headquarters, and Worcester’s offer of $500 million in tax breaks wasn’t enough to entice the e-commerce giant.
In its official 60-page bid, the city offered the Seattle-based company 98 acres made up of three mostly-abutting parcels off of Route 20. The proposal boasted of Worcester’s progress and revitalization and highlighted the proximity to 135 colleges, universities and institutes.
Worcester -- which spent about $11,000 on the bid package -- was one of 238 nationwide bids for HQ2, a planned 8-million-square-foot campus requiring a $5-billion capital investment from the company.
Amazon is predicting the campus would bring in as many as 50,000 new jobs to whichever area it chooses.
“It was a bit of a longshot, but we felt it was important in terms of making the case that Worcester met all the elements of the RFP,” said Tim Murray, CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Murray and city officials maintained that the bid -- if not successful -- would put Worcester on the map and solidify it as a major destination for other large companies.
Several other companies and developers have since inquired about building in Worcester, and the city and Chamber are using the same materials included in the Amazon bid, Murray said.
“It was a good exercise,” Murray said. “We knew it was a longshot, but you’ve got to throw the pass.”
Five sites in Worcester totaling 13.1 acres and 1.85 million square feet was included in the state’s official bid to the company, but the only New England area included in Amazon’s list was Boston, which was primarily offering the 161-acre Suffolk Downs site.
In a statement, Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus said the city is encouraged that Boston was chosen as a finalist, as it elevates the state's status as one of the most tech-savvy business areas in the country.
The other chosen cities -- all of which are major metropolitan areas -- are:
- Atlanta, Ga.
- Austin, Texas
- Chicago, Ill.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Dallas, Texas
- Denver, Colo.
- Indianapolis, Ind.
- Los Angeles, Calif.
- Miami, Fla.
- Montgomery County, Md.
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Newark, N.J.
- New York City, N.Y.
- Northern Virginia, Va.
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Raleigh, N.C.
- Toronto, Ontario
- Washington D.C.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments