Newark and NYC appear to be favored for Amazon’s HQ2 site
Photo via Robert Scoble on Flickr
The hunt for Amazon’s second headquarters is still on, more than a year after the company first announced its plan for HQ2. The tech-giant has narrowed its list of potential cities from over 200 to 20, with Newark and New York City both making the cut. Amazon executives recently revisited both of the cities, as well as others like Chicago and Miami, making it seem like the company favors an urban area, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
With Amazon’s promise of bringing more than 50,000 new jobs and $5 billion in initial city investment, cities across the country quickly put together their persuasive proposals, with 238 in total submitted. Last October, New York City pitched four neighborhoods for the company’s new home: Midtown West, Long Island City, the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, and Lower Manhattan.
Mayor Bill de Blasio called the city “uniquely qualified” because it boasts the country’s largest tech talent pool, competitive labor costs, and the largest air-transit and public transportation system in the nation.
Newark is also a strong contender, with six colleges, a large amount of undeveloped space, and proximity to New York while maintaining affordable costs of living. As 6sqft learned last month, an architecture firm has proposed a futuristic complex for HQ2, which would include the tallest towers in Newark. While this development did not make it into the city’s application in 2017, the developers have met with key stakeholders, according to Jersey Digs.
Even if Amazon does not choose either of the cities, the company already has a decently sized footprint in the area. Amazon last September signed a lease for nearly 360,000 square feet of office space at 5 Manhattan West and has plans to bring a massive $100 million fulfillment center to Staten Island.
The company also just signed a lease for 83,000 square feet in the Queens neighborhood of Woodside for a new fulfillment and distribution center. The facility at 26-15 Boody Street is near the intersection of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, as first reported by the Real Deal.
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