Dear Amazon, Meet Us in St. Louis
Date Posted: October 19, 2017
Posted In: News, Projects,
From St. Louis Economic Development Partnership: Today, leaders submitted a unified regional bid for Amazon’s second headquarters — known as HQ2. The proposed site spans both sides of the Mississippi River and delivers on Amazon’s specifications — urban, vibrant, connected to light rail and in a region ready to deliver the tech workforce they will need.
The proposed site is the St. Louis Riverfront on both sides of the Mississippi and the Central Business District in downtown. The bid was delivered to Amazon corporate headquarters this morning.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, Express Scripts Chairman George Paz, World Wide Technology Chairman & Founder David Steward and Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton submitted the bid on behalf of the entire region, which included cover letters by both Governor Bruce Rauner of Illinois and Governor Eric Greitens of Missouri.
“We feel confident we’ve assembled the most attractive proposal Amazon is going to receive,” St. Louis Economic Development Partnership CEO Sheila Sweeney said. “It shines a spotlight on all of the tremendous assets St. Louis has to offer. We tick all of the boxes for Amazon’s HQ2 — a strong workforce, urban site availability, mass transit and a great cost of living. Not to mention we over deliver on cultural amenities and easy commutes. I can’t wait for Amazon executives to see what’s possible in St. Louis and consider us for their next home.”
The bid centers on the region’s ability on “Day One” to deliver a blueprint to Amazon including fresh ideas to build the nation’s new tech workforce.
“Our region is producing exceptional talent, but we have fresh ideas from our tech and higher education leaders on how to dramatically increase this flow of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) students from the earliest ages,” Stenger said. “If we ignite the imaginations and potential of our youngest students, some of whom have been passed over for generations, we spark a revolution in education, inclusion and a new day in the global workforce.”
Details of the bid will remain confidential. There is a non-disclosure agreement between the state and local government entities and Amazon.