Baker: Up to 20 bids for Amazon
HQ2 applications due Oct. 19
The Bay State may submit up to 20 bids in the sweepstakes for Amazon’s second headquarters, according to Gov. Charlie Baker, who yesterday predicted communities in the “vast majority” of the state will seek the $5 billion in investment the tech giant has promised to make in its “HQ2.”
“I think in the end it will probably be more than 10 and less than 20,” Baker said of possible Bay State applications. The final count, he said, will hinge on whether some cities or town opt to pursue a regional approach or individual applications.
“I would say the vast majority of the commonwealth will probably be bidding at the local or regional level,” Baker told the Herald, “and our goal is to have our bid represent the commonwealth in its entirety.”
The potential for so many pitches underscores the draw of Amazon’s call for proposals, as well as the neutral approach the Baker administration has taken in the race toward the Oct. 19 deadline. The state isn’t backing any one application over another, prompting potential proposals to sprout north, south and west of Boston — where any number of options could also emerge.
The approach differs from others, such as Colorado, where officials have said they expect to submit a consolidated bid.
Baker — who’s made Jay Ash, his secretary for economic development, the point person on the state’s proposal — said his administration is willing to write letters of support for individual communities “depending on what it says.”
“I prefer to think of it as we’re putting the state behind every bid,” Baker said.
Any number of packages have already emerged, from Weymouth’s Union Point to Worcester to a collective Merrimack Valley pitch encompassing several towns.
In Boston, Suffolk Downs and its 161-acre space is viewed as a prime contender for the Hub’s own proposal.
Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo has thrown his backing behind Suffolk Downs, touting its space, simplicity (it has one owner) and proximity to the MBTA and Logan International Airport.
DeLeo yesterday said he has reached out to community leaders for support, including Northeastern University President Joseph Aoun, whose school has a satellite campus in Seattle and has sent Amazon 500 student interns over the last five years.
Aoun wrote to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos last month to pitch Boston as a “global city characterized by an unrivaled innovation ecosystem” and a leader in battling climate change, though he did not tout any particular location.
“Should Amazon select Boston, Northeastern stands ready to expand its suite of partnerships and close working relationships with the company,” Aoun wrote in the Sept. 26 letter.