Everyone wants Amazon’s second headquarters! The company plans to spend more than $5 billion on its new facility and create 50-thousand high-paying jobs.
The deadline for submitting bids is over. Amazon said it received 238 proposals from 54 areas around North America. Detroit is part of the wishful group and entered its bid accompanied by a well-produced, 3 minute and 35 second video. The film by Detroiter Stephen MGee is narrated by local poet Jessica Care Moore.
We commend the diverse 59-member committee led by businessman Dan Gilbert for pulling everything together in a short period of time. It was a Herculean effort. We saw great regional and international teamwork from business, governmental and civic leaders in the Detroit -Windsor corridor. That’s the kind of development partnership that is making us one of the most talked about regions in the world.
We think Detroit has an excellent chance of becoming Amazon’s newest headquarters. Our strong and creative Midwest workforce is second to none. Still, if we are not selected the winner next year, this effort will not have been in vain. We’ll have a good idea of what worked against us and the areas in which we need to approve. Our regional cooperation and spirit will be called upon again many more times.
But for now, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Detroit will land the new Amazon.com headquarters. As the video says, “Move here. Move the World!”
I’m Chuck Stokes, Editorial Director
Broadcast: October 26 - 29, 2017
