Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) The day circled on local governments’ calendars across the country has arrived: Deadline day to submit proposals for Amazon’s HQ2. In the six weeks since Amazon announced what may be the biggest economic development opportunity in a generation, jurisdictions across the D.C. region and the country have raced to put together a plan that they hope will grant Amazon’s wish for a business-friendly, transit-connected site.
The D.C. region has at least half a dozen jurisdictions submitting bids: Montgomery, Prince George’s, Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, along with the District. After an initial discussion at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments around submitting one proposal for the entire region, the body instead agreed to let COG put together an overlay touting the region’s workforce, education, and transportation strengths, which could be attached to each jurisdiction’s bid.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced four possible sites in the city for Amazon – the Anacostia Riverfront, Hill-East, Shaw, and the NoMa-Union Station area. Bowser said she has heard what the suburbs are offering, and thinks the city has a leg up as a result.
“In all of the discussions that I’ve heard from the suburban jurisdictions, they all sell Washington, D.C. All of them,” she told reporters. “What we offer them is a distinctly urban experience.”
Bowser’s plan to house Amazon in several buildings spread out over multiple city blocks stands in contrast to other suburban proposals putting Amazon in a more traditional campus-like environment.
Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker announced sites in College Park, Greenbelt, and New Carrollton as contenders, boasting proximity to airports, universities, and Metro stations.
“We certainly believe in Prince George’s County, we’ve got some really great sites that will fit it perfectly,” Baker told WMAL.
Baker also directed some ire to Governor Larry Hogan’s office, which came out in support of Baltimore’s bid at Port Covington.
“The best option, from the state perspective, is to support all the sites that have a chance of winning,” Baker said. “Let each site rise on its own and say ‘what’s important is Maryland win this.’”
Hogan’s office responded, saying in a statement, “The governor believes Port Covington is a tremendous site, and the state will be supporting efforts to bring the Amazon HQ2 to Baltimore City. As the governor has said, he would welcome Amazon to any location within Maryland, and the state and the Department of Commerce will work hard on behalf of any jurisdiction submitting a proposal.”
Prince George’s County’s neighbor to the west, Montgomery County, is also submitting a bid, but unlike Baker, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has stayed tight-lipped about potential sites. Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner told reporters this week he has urged Leggett to make more information public.
“I’ve had those conversations,” Berliner said. “We will have a very competitive proposal. We check off all the boxes that Amazon is looking for.”
Arlington County is similarly staying quiet about where its sites are, but did confirm it will submit a bid.
Sources also told WMAL that Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, with the blessing of Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, have agreed on a joint proposal to use land near Dulles Airport, currently home to the Center for Innovative Technology. It will be home to a Silver Line stop once the Metro extension opens, expected in 2020. While it’s virtually an open plot now, Loudoun County Supervisor Ron Meyer told WMAL that will be changing soon.
“We have about 3,000 units approved by the previous board at the Innovation Avenue Metro station,” he said. “We are already building roads in those corridors. We are preparing to build schools in those corridors. If we’re talking about needing money for roads and schools, you know what helps us with that is commercial development.”
Amazon did not limit proposals to those only backed by local governments, however. Business leaders may decide to independently submit other bids that were passed up by government officials. Tysons has often been mentioned as a candidate for an independent bid, especially after Fairfax officials moved to support the joint proposal with Loudoun.
As all-consuming as the debate has been for the last six weeks around D.C., it is still one of over two dozen metropolitan areas looking to win Amazon’s HQ2. Various business publications have listed the D.C. area as a top contender, but it will be up against the likes of Austin, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta, among many others, all boasting similar perks in its workforce, connectivity, and culture.
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