BOSTON (WHDH) — 7News has obtained the formal proposal – and pitch video – Boston officials are hoping will lure Amazon into bringing their second corporate headquarters and 50,000 new jobs to the city.
READ BOSTON’S BID: To read through the bid, click here.
VIEW BOSTON’S PITCH VIDEO:
The 218-page proposal to the tech giant lists Suffolk Downs as the primary location. It describes Suffolk Downs as a 160-acre, “transit friendly” canvas that is close to the waterfront, the airport and downtown Boston.
In addition to the main site at Suffolk Downs, the proposal includes other smaller locations in Boston neighborhoods that Amazon could group together to create smaller campuses. Those areas include the South Boston Waterfront, downtown Boston, the South End, Back Bay, Roxbury, Widett Circle and Allston/Brighton. According to the proposal, any site chosen by Amazon would be required to go through local permitting and community processes.
The proposal does not include a specific offer of tax incentives. Mayor Marty Walsh told 7News those kinds of details would only be discussed if Boston’s bid makes it to the next round. Walsh said the city uses local property tax incentives when projects face specific challenges or create unique opportunities in providing new jobs and investment in underdeveloped areas.
“It’s about growth. Having a company like Amazon in Boston or the greater Boston area would be a huge lift to the economy and really a draw for other companies to come in,” Walsh told 7’s Sharman Sacchetti.
Amazon officials said they are looking for a business-friendly home with strong talent available at nearby universities, public transportation and proximity to an international airport. Amazon said many of the new jobs come with six-figure salaries and that the company expects to invest more than $5 billion in construction.
Communities in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire have joined the bidding war ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Worcester was just one of several cities across the state and more than 50 cities across the country that joined in a bidding battle to become the home to Amazon’s second headquarters. The city is offering $500 million in tax incentives over 20 years.
New Hampshire is advertising Londonderry as the place for Amazon with “the benefits of Boston without all the headaches.”
“It has grown beyond capacity to the point where Boston actually had to withdraw from Olympic consideration because of the citizen’s fury over current untenable traffic congestion,” New Hampshire noted in its proposal.
In response to New Hampshire’s knock on the city, Walsh said it would be a “badge of honor” if Boston were to be selected.
“They’re taking shots at Boston because of our success, which is great. Hopefully we’ll continue that,” said Walsh.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has not put his support behind any one city in Massachusetts. Atlanta, Austin and Toronto are among other major cities in the running.
The proposals were due Thursday and a review period will follow. It will likely be a while before Amazon announces the location of its new headquarters.
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