Online retail giant Amazon is planning to build a second North American headquarters, and the state of Delaware is among those bidding to be its home.
Gov. John Carney (D) says the First State would be a good fit for Amazon’s planned “HQ2”
“Why not Delaware is my attitude towards it," said Carney. "We have a great place to live. We’ve got great institutions of higher education. We’ve got good schools. We have safe communities in which people would want to live, and we’re right centrally located near an international airport. So we’re going to put our best foot forward and hopefully we’ll be successful.”
Carney and other Delaware officials say the state meets all of Amazon’s specific requirements: It is close to an international airport, is accessible by mass transit and a population of almost one million people.
“Delaware may be small, but that’s what makes us so nimble when it comes to creating a nurturing environment for business,” said Sen Tom Carper (D-Delaware). “With our first-class workforce and easy access to major highways like I-95 and the northeast corridor railway, the First State would make a great location for Amazon’s second North American headquarters."
“We are pleased to work in partnership with the state and county governments and our federal delegation to bring Amazon to Delaware,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki (D). “Naturally, I have a preference for the company coming to Wilmington, but this is a huge opportunity to provide employment for our city residents as well as those who live beyond Wilmington’s borders and to boost our local economy."
Delaware already houses two Amazon distribution centers - one in Middletown and the other in New Castle. The News Journal reports those two facilities are currently home to about 4,000 employees. And last month, it announced it was planning to add hundreds of new jobs in Middletown.
Amazon’s HQ2 is expected to cost $5 billion to build, and create about 50,000 full-time jobs.
The company’s Seattle headquarters is more than eight million square feet, and has added $38 billion to that city’s economy.
Cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Toronto and St. Louis are among those that have already joined Delaware in expressing an interest in landing Amazon's "HQ2."
