Mass. HQ2 sales pitch gives best of both worlds approach
The roughly two dozen proposals from Massachusetts cities and towns for Amazon’s second headquarters all tout the state’s tech talent and world-class universities, with those outside Boston pitching a lower cost of living.
Amazon wants to invest $5 billion to build an 8-million-square-foot facility that would bring in as many as 50,000 employees. The Bay State proposals include:
• Boston: Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s bid spotlights Suffolk Downs in East Boston, and lists several other potential sites. The roughly 160-acre horse racetrack in Boston and Revere has long been eyed for development. Revere officials are working with Boston on the bid. The initial bid will not include any specific incentives, which the city says will be tailored to whichever site is chosen. Widett Circle, south of South Station, and the Seaport District in South Boston are believed to be among the backup sites.
• Weymouth: Developers of Union Point, a massive former naval air station spanning parts of Weymouth, Abington and Rockland, say they’ll build what they call a mini 21st-century city from the ground up. Developers LStar Ventures will offer their own private incentive package, though it is unclear what that will include.
• Somerville: Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone envisions an Amazon campus stretching from Boston to Somerville, with offices in Cambridge, Chelsea and Everett. The proposed sites run along the spine of the Orange Line and tout a regional approach.
• Worcester: The central Massachusetts city is targeting 98 acres over three sites and has pledged $500 million in property tax relief. The city’s bid has the backing of U.S. Rep. James McGovern, whose district includes Worcester.
• Fall River: Amazon already has a large distribution center there, and Fall River proposes to expand around it. The bid pitches the city as a bridge between Boston and Providence.
• New Bedford: The South Coast city is offering a 110-acre, city-owned piece of land. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell says the port city is on the verge of a rebirth thanks in part to the expected development of offshore wind farms.
• Billerica: With more than 250 acres on offer, Billerica is submitting a regional proposal with Lowell, Tewksbury and other surrounding towns. The bid includes a letter of support from Billerica-based E Ink Corporation, a key Amazon partner that makes displays for Kindle e-reader tablets.
• Lawrence: The Merrimack Valley mill city is making a regional bid from Haverhill and North Andover, offering a collection of sites. The bid says it offers access to Boston’s tech talent and universities — but away from the bumper-tobumper traffic and soaring housing costs.
• Other communities that have indicated they are considering bids include Springfield, Lynn, Taunton, Leominster and Foxboro.