AMAZON PRIMED!
SUFFOLK DOWNS, REVERE PUSH HARD IN BID FOR NEW HQ
The heavyweight developer that bought Suffolk Downs is ready to “swing for the fences” to convince Amazon.com Inc. to put its second headquarters on the massive plot of land that spans Revere and Boston.
“We think the site works, and we think it has a lot of what Amazon has said it’s looking for,” said Thomas O’Brien, managing director of the Bostonbased Hym Investment Group. “Suffolk Downs fits all the factors Amazon is looking for.”
O’Brien discussed making a pitch to Amazon after a Revere City Council Economic Development Sub-Committee meeting yesterday. He said his team is working quickly to get a proposal to the e-commerce giant, which announced that its requests for proposals are due Oct. 19.
“Where it’s situated is a perfect location,” O’Brien said of the longtime racetrack, adding that its position between two MBTA stops — Beachmont and Suffolk Downs — and its proximity to Logan International Airport make it a potentially enticing spot for the company.
Amazon’s plan calls for as many as 50,000 fulltime employees with an average annual compensation of $100,000 at its second headquarters. The Seattle-based company expects to grow into the space during the course of 10 to 15 years, according to its request for proposals.
Mayor Martin J. Walsh came out publicly in support of bringing Amazon to the city earlier this month, but last night he declined to comment on the Suffolk Downs proposal through a spokeswoman.
Revere city councilors reacted positively to O’Brien’s proposal for the land but initially avoided mentioning Amazon by name during the introductory meeting, calling it the “big commercial tenant.” But then committee Chairman Patrick M. Keefe Jr. called Amazon the “1A plan” for the land.
“It has all the amenities you need. It has the workforce from Boston and Revere, and I can’t see why they wouldn’t want to jump on this opportunity,” he told the Herald. “For a city like Revere, it would be a total game-changer.”
O’Brien told councilors that his team was “swinging for the fences” with the big-name proposal.
In an overview of potential plans to councilors, O’Brien indicated that the revamped Suffolk Downs would be a walkable, mixed-use development with neighborhood retail and open space. When likened to Somerville’s Assembly Row, O’Brien said: “I think we can do a better job. We’re competitive in that respect.”
Amazon has said once it picks a location, the first phase of building will require more than 500,000 square feet that will be ready in 2019.
“We can hit that schedule,” O’Brien said. “It’s already zoned for that, and we can produce a campus for them that would accommodate their needs and it would also have great retail and places for workers to live. It would be a real mixed-use campus.”
O’Brien added, “They want something that’s integrated in the neighborhood. That’s something you see here. Our sense is that’s something Amazon wants. They aren’t looking for a separate fortress.”