Danbury and Bridgeport are going ahead with direct appeals to Amazon as the location of its second headquarters.
“We feel the city of Danbury is the strongest location to service Amazon”™s second North American headquarters,” said Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, who touted the city”™s ability to accommodate the retail behemoth”™s requirements for what it is calling HQ2.
The company has said it will invest over $5 billion in construction of what could end up as an 8 million-square-foot facility, which would ultimately include as many as 50,000 “high-paying” jobs.
“Danbury has the resources, as we boast a 100-acre site in direct proximity to rail, air, and vehicular modes of transportation,” Boughton, who last month produced a video outlining Danbury”™s suitability, said. “Further, renowned economists agree that Danbury has the most stable and business-friendly environment in the state of Connecticut.
Boughton said that the city would “gladly partner” with the state and the greater Danbury area to ensure that Amazon”™s needs are met in full.
“In addition, the city of Danbury has a unique partnership with Putnam County, N.Y., which increases our access to talented workers and resources that transcends state boundaries,” he said.
“Lastly, and most importantly, our ability to draw from a diverse, educated and multitalented labor pool puts Danbury at the forefront of this selection process,” Boughton said.
Meanwhile, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim is working with New Haven Mayor Toni Harp to put together a proposal that would in effect split HQ2 into two separate entities ”“ an arrangement that Amazon had not included in its list of requirements.
The announcements follow last week”™s decision by the state Department of Economic Development to pitch only the Stamford and Hartford regions to Amazon.
