The clock is ticking: Cities have six days left to apply if they want to be the home of Amazon’s new headquarters. Oct. 19 is the deadline, and some 30 other California cities reportedly are vying for the honor — and the riches expected to flow to the successful candidate.
Among the latest Golden State cities to officially toss a hat in the ring is Oxnard, the largest city in Ventura County and the home to agriculture, business, beaches and higher education, among other things.
Dozens of other cities — across the U.S. and in Canada — are vying for the affections of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
Amazon wants its second HQ (which will complement its main headquarters, in Seattle) to be in a metropolitan area with more than 1 million people, within 45 minutes of an international airport, and less than 2 miles from a freeway. The online giant says it plans to spend $5 billion on a new HQ and to employ more than 50,000 people. The project’s phases begin in 2019.
Oxnard City Manager Greg Nyhoff is among the many municipal representatives, from San Diego to the Bay Area, to have visited the governor’s office to make his city’s intentions known. A 430-acre parcel of farmland, immediately adjacent to U.S. Highway 101, is the proposed site.
The stakes are high. In addition to $5 billion for the new edifice(s) and hardware and software and fiber and HVAC, every $1 spent by Amazon generates an additional $1.40-$1.80 in “ripple effect” economic activity.
But Amazon won’t come cheap: In its instructions to applicant cities, it says it expects grants and tax breaks.
So the competition has begun. Oxnard’s Nyhoff took a swipe at a neighboring giant to the south by contrasting Los Angeles’ traffic with Oxnard’s agricultural bounty: “I would like to think when LA shows up, well, you have the choice of being parked on the 405 all your life, or you can get a pack of fresh strawberries for breakfast.
It’s hard to handicap Oxnard’s chances, as Nyhoff explained that the city won’t be able to waive property taxes or enter a sales tax agreement, as some other cities can. But he said the city might be able to defer some fees.
Amazon plans to announce its selection next year.
This report, first appearing in the Ventura County Star, was distributed by the Tribune Content Agency and augmented by Techwire.
