keyboard_arrow_leftBack to Resources
There is a growing list of cities that would like to become home to the new Amazon HQ2, and Pomona is that latest to join. Amazon is looking for proposals for their new $5-billion second headquarter location, which will be called “HQ2”.
The city of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona, Los Angeles County, and The Fairplex are joining forces to submit a bid that would make Pomona home to the online retail giant’s newest headquarters location. If chosen, the new campus will bring an estimated 50,000 jobs to the area.
Fairplex is proposing to offer 100 acres of land that has recently been used for parking spaces on the eastern side of White Avenue. Additionally, Cal Poly Pomona is considering offering the 300-acre location that houses, the permanently closed, Lanterman Developmental Center. These properties are not near each other.
The city council in Pomona will vote on Monday night and are expected to endorse the bid. Amazon is calling for all bids to be submitted by this Thursday.
Miguel Santana, Chief Executive of The Fairplex, believes they will submit a proposal that is competitive and can rival any other bid placed in California or the rest of North America. He said that regardless which Pomona site is chosen, most of Amazon’s requirements will be met. For instance, one Amazon requirement is that the site must be accessible by mass transit. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority already has plans to extend the service area for the Gold Line Train. The extension will create two new stations near The Fairplex, and the project is expected to be completed by 2027.
Another prerequisite for Amazon is that the location is near a major airport, and the Ontario International Airport is only about 11 miles from the area. Another benefit of building the new HQ2 in Pomona is that the area is surrounded by affordable housing and offers plenty of access to an educated workforce.
The request for proposal was put forth because their current headquarters consists of 33 buildings around Seattle. However, the campus is currently full with 40,000 employees. With demand for their services higher than ever and sales up in the $130-billions, it’s time for Amazon to build a second campus.
Other cities set to submit bids include St. Louis, Chicago, and Pittsburg. Regardless the bid they choose, it’s going to be hard to turn down Los Angeles County. They are so desperate to get this bid that they are also going to offer Amazon a favorable lease and tax credits. Though this is only one of many bids, L.A. officials consider it a great one!
