Montgomery County is one of 20 sites on the shortlist for Amazon’s second headquarters. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant recently narrowed down 236 bids from across the United States and Canada to the final 20, which also includes the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia.
Amazon is seeking an area with more than one million residents, proximity to an airport, manageable commutes, diverse demographics, connectivity and a multitude of local schools that can offer potential employees.
Montgomery County largely meets this criteria. The county’s bid emphasized its highly educated workforce, expansive transportation network, internet connectivity and diversity. The county has the largest concentration of degree holders of any metropolitan area in the country. Montgomery County also promoted its proximity to the highway, D.C. metro system, commuter trains and three major airports. Additionally, the county noted several federal and educational institutions, as well as many urban features and high-speed internet providers.
Montgomery County did not publicly release information about the exact site it pitched, or the financial and tax incentives it is offering to Amazon. However, several county officials, including County Executive Ike Leggett, have said that the county pitched the White Flint area of North Bethesda.
The site will cost $5 billion to construct and will spread across several buildings. Amazon will require an initial 500,000 square feet of office space to be built in 2019, and will likely expand to around 8 million square feet by 2027. The headquarters will create 50,000 professional jobs that could pay an average of about $100,000 per year.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan prepared an incentive package totaling more than $5 billion. The legislation includes road and transit improvements, as well as a state income tax credit for each new qualifying headquarter for a 10-year period. Most of Montgomery County’s state delegation is supportive of the incentive package, which they will need to approve in order to officially enact the governor’s plan.
Montgomery County’s bid has sparked conversation among residents over the implications of a new Amazon headquarters in the area. Supporters say that if Montgomery County is the chosen site, the headquarters will boost Montgomery County’s economy through significant job growth. The new workers and their families would create a large market of demand, leading to greater investment in infrastructure and school construction.
Opponents of the plan say that providing large tax breaks to corporations like Amazon will hurt workers. Some say that Maryland must focus its budget on responding to other state interests first, while others simply want more specific information on the costs involved.
Regardless, Amazon’s decision will have an important impact on Montgomery County. The e-commerce conglomerate expects to choose the location for its second headquarters sometime this year.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Anna Chen of Richard Montgomery High School