Some 26 elected officials from the Bronx have signed a letter to Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder & CEO, urging the company to consider the Bronx as the site of its next headquarters, according to a statement from Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
“Our borough already has a working relationship with Amazon,” said Diaz. “We would welcome them to the Bronx with open arms. We have numerous locations that could meet their needs and a skilled workforce to go with them.”
The Bronx has seen incredible progress on job creation and economic development in recent years, according to Diaz.
“Amazon would be a tremendous new addition to our borough, and we look forward to discussing their proposal for a new headquarters, and how the Bronx could host them, in the near future,” Diaz said. “The Bronx is a prime location for Amazon’s next home.”
The letter states that the Bronx offers many unique advantages when compared to other municipalities, with a record investment in infrastructure, and leading the way in job creation.
Companies from all over the world are taking a fresh look at the Bronx, and existing companies are expanding their presence in the borough, according to the letter, dated Friday, September 15.
With smart planning and collaboration, Amazon could become a key piece of our ongoing renaissance,” the letter states.
Earlier in September, Amazon announced that it would seek a site for its second American headquarters, HQ2, and issued a nationwide request for proposals.
Since then, Bronx elected officials and business leaders have been working to identify potential locations and are developing materials on the benefits of doing business in the Bronx.
The complete letter to Amazon can be read at on.nyc.gov/
Highlights of the letter include:
• The Bronx offers more advantages to Amazon than any other municipality. We are six miles from LaGuardia Airport, 20 minutes from Kennedy Airport, and Manhattan is just a quick train ride away.
• The Bronx is the only borough attached to the mainland United States, and we offer easy connections to Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey by car.
• We are in the midst of constructing a new Metro North commuter rail spur in the east Bronx.
• Our borough has the largest number of colleges, parkland and hospitals in New York City.
• We are the home of the New York Yankees, the Bronx Zoo, Wave Hill and the New York Botanical Garden.
• We have our own beach and are home to the oldest golf course in the nation.
• Last year, our borough saw $3.27 billion in total development, 37 percent higher than 2015 and the most of any year since 2009.
• In 2016, the Bronx also saw more than 14.2 million square feet of total development, 41 percent more than 2015 and, once again, the most since 2009.
• Since 2009, the Bronx has seen nearly $13 billion and 70 million square feet of total development.
• Over 110,000 more Bronx residents have jobs today than did in May 2009, and unemployment has been cut by more than half.
The letter was signed by Diaz and all the Bronx elected officials.
