Hamilton, as promised, has submitted its bid to become home to Amazon‘s second North American headquarters.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger says the bid places a focus on the city’s “diversified economy”, a “dynamic” arts and music scene and leading colleges and universities in demonstrating why Amazon should invest its $5 billion dollars locally.
Eisenberger adds that neighbouring municipalities are partners in the bid, which stresses that 2.3 million people live within a 48-kilometre radius of downtown Hamilton.
The mayor also notes that all the work that has been done on the bid “is going to be useful for our next economic development drive”, and will be “not only attractive to Amazon, but attractive to anyone else out there that might be interested in looking at Hamilton as an investment opportunity.”
City Manager Chris Murray says Amazon, which has signalled that it will make a decision next year, has “lit a fire” under North American municipalities.
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Murray believes that if it comes down to politics, Amazon will stay in the states, but if strictly a business decision, he thinks “Canada becomes a very viable option.”
Hamilton spent up to $500,000 on the bid, $250,000 from taxpayers and the other $250,000 from public and private-sector partners.
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