Amazon recently announced it is accepting bids to open a second headquarters in North America and Langford Mayor Stew Young is looking to put his city on the map.
B次元官网网址淭his would be the type of business we need on the Island,B次元官网网址� Young said. B次元官网网址淚t fills a void we would have in the tech industry.B次元官网网址�
Seattle is home to the current headquarters and from 2010 to 2016, Amazon estimated an additional $38 billion was invested into the cityB次元官网网址檚 economy. The company said they expect to invest more than $5 billion in construction and grow the second location to be equal to the current operation in Seattle.
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B次元官网网址淭he timing in Langford is perfect,B次元官网网址� Young said, adding that a Canadian site makes sense with the dollar being lower. B次元官网网址淲e have all the right boxes ticked off.B次元官网网址�
With roughly 50 acres of land available on both sides of the Leigh Road overpass thatB次元官网网址檚 already zone for this use B次元官网网址� and the potential to expand on that B次元官网网址� Young said B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檝e got more land than theyB次元官网网址檒l need B次元官网网址� the opportunity there is amazing.B次元官网网址�
With zoning and other covenants already in place, Young joked council could even rename Leigh Road after Amazon.
In addition to the land, Young noted thereB次元官网网址檚 also a great talent pool to draw from already on the Island and the lifestyle the West Shore offers aligns with the companyB次元官网网址檚 standards. B次元官网网址淭he lifestyle is very important B次元官网网址� and I think we fit it very well,B次元官网网址� he added.
The request for proposals opened on Sept. 7 and they are due by Oct. 19. The announcement for the final site selection is scheduled for 2018. On the Amazon website, the company explained why it turned to a public appeal to help find its next location. B次元官网网址淲e want to find a city that is excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit,B次元官网网址� the statement said.
With the potential for a 10-year build out that would bring up to 50,000 jobs and an 8-million-square-foot build to the Island, Young noted the auxiliary businesses needed to support that would benefit not just Langford but the entire region.
He added that with Sooke and the Bamberton area so close, housing for all of those employees could also be spread into other communities. B次元官网网址淭he commute would be very minimal,B次元官网网址� he said, adding it would actually help alleviate some of the congestion on the Trans-Canada Highway by drawing commuters away from the core.
Young has been in talks with a number of major landowners and he noted they are all in favour of the idea, with some even approaching him after seeing AmazonB次元官网网址檚 call for bids. B次元官网网址淲e all phoned each other on the same day,B次元官网网址� he said with a laugh.
Young added the City also started talks Friday with post secondary institutions in the region as there would be even more demand for satellite campuses on the West Shore.
