The Queens Chamber of Commerce is hoping to woo Amazon to the borough. The e-commerce company recently announced its looking for a second home outside of its Seattle headquarters. NY1's Gene Apodaca reports.
The owner of a small hair salon in Jamaica, Nabou Gaye believes it would be a huge win if Amazon brought its new headquarters to Queens.
“For me more people is more business, more advertisement,“ said Gaye.
The company announced earlier this month it was accepting proposals for its new facility expected to cost around 5 billion dollars.
Whatever is built, the online retailer expects as many as 50,000 employees will work there.
And, while cities across North America are making the pitch, Queens Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Thomas Grech, is appealing to Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, to take a hard look at the ‘World’s Borough.’
“With the diverse culture and the diverse notion of Queens County with 130 languages, the most diverse place on earth, it’s a great opportunity for him to spring board to be a truly international company,” said Grech.
Aside from diversity, Grech believes Queens has the space to handle such a large facility.
He has three spots in mind: Long Island City, Sunnyside, and the area around Jamaica.
“That area is prime to boom and I think it would be a great fit for Amazon,“ said Grech.
He believes with the investments in education and development in those areas that a new headquarters would fit right in.
Grech says another plus is the access to transportation with two major airports in Queens and a robust rail and subway system.
“JFK is a huge hub. The governor is pouring billions of dollars into growing it, infrastructure [and] rail,“ said Grech.
And, while other cities, like Los Angeles and Boston, have faced pushback from residents concerned overcrowding and increased cost of living. The city is moving forward.
Grech is currently working with Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and the mayor’s office on the eventual bid.
It’s a gamble, Gaye hopes pays off in the end.
“We need it, there’s some hardworking people and I believe if they have new jobs it’s going to be good for everybody,” said Gaye.
The deadline for cities to submit proposals is October 19th.