Why not Detroit for Amazon's second headquarters?

By Mike Renda, General Manager

It's very exciting to hear the buzz about the massive effort under way to bring a second Amazon headquarters to our region as soon as 2019.

A regional dream team of business and government leaders including Governor Rick Snyder and Mayor Mike Duggan are working on the Amazon bid led by billionaire Dan Gilbert.

What we're seeing is an unprecedented regional effort to provide the data; analysis and creativity to make a successful all inclusive pitch to Amazon.

Gilbert in his reported direct talks with Amazon has stressed that coming here brings two countries into play with the Canada right across the river. Together, the countries offer all the talent and labor resources Amazon would need, not to mention abundant office space in downtown Detroit and Windsor.

Need more selling points? The group can offer our great research universities, a world class airport and as Gilbert has emphasized, our region's willingness to "think big" with mobility solutions.

We understand the proposal is due very soon and the city that Amazon chooses for their HQ2 could see up to 50,000 new jobs and several billion dollars of investment over the next twenty years.

My gut response is "Why not us?" - the urgency of the Amazon bid has set in motion regional forces all working together for the greater good of our region unlike any other drive in recent memory.

Let's join our community and business leaders and get behind this gigantic effort to give our region a huge economic shot in the arm with thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment.

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