Harrisburg Region Officially Submitted Response to Amazon HQ2 Request for Proposal
Harrisburg (October 20, 2017) - Yesterday evening, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC and the Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority (DCRA) held a press conference regarding the region’s submission of the Amazon HQ2 proposal at PSECU (1500 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg). Several members of the region’s business community, along with elected officials were in attendance.
The press conference was held in conjunction with the Chamber & CREDC’s Business After Hours networking event hosted by PSECU to confirm that Harrisburg officially submitted a proposal for the Amazon’s HQ2 request for proposal (RFP).
The press conference was held in conjunction with the Chamber & CREDC’s Business After Hours networking event hosted by PSECU to confirm that Harrisburg officially submitted a proposal for the Amazon’s HQ2 request for proposal (RFP).
A response to Amazon’s RFP from “SCPA-Harrisburg” was submitted in hard copy earlier in the week. It arrived Wednesday and the micro-site log in information was delivered to Amazon Wednesday morning.
“Because this is a competitive process, we cannot share copies of the proposal at the time of our press conference,” stated David Black, President & CEO of the Chamber & CREDC. “The response was focused on the site, workforce development and quality of life issues.”
The following were required by Amazon to be considered as a location for their second headquarters:
- Metro area with more than 1 million people
- Stabile and business-friendly environment
- Urban or suburban locations with potential to attract and retain strong technical talent
- Communities that “think big” and creatively when considering locations and real estate options
- Urban or downtown campus
- A development prepped site
Dauphin County Commissioners Jeff Haste, Mike Pries and George P. Hartwick, III commented, "We realize the selection process will be extremely competitive, with cities like New York, Chicago, and Boston expressing interest in attracting Amazon. But bringing billions of dollars in economic investment and thousands of jobs to the region is an opportunity we can't pass up. We're proud of the work we've done as a region and the competitive proposal we've put together."
Black added, “Amazon specifically requested a site proposal. We submitted one site, with great connectivity to downtown, transportation with infrastructure to support the project, reuse of existing buildings and new construction. If we don’t try, we will never succeed and we understand that status quo is not good enough – we need to move forward as a region.”
The Chamber & CREDC and DCRA’s goal is to have Amazon visit the region and the site. Appropriate follow up will be made in the coming months to discuss with them the conceptual plans to support the 8 million square feet of office space and population growth.
Black added, “Amazon specifically requested a site proposal. We submitted one site, with great connectivity to downtown, transportation with infrastructure to support the project, reuse of existing buildings and new construction. If we don’t try, we will never succeed and we understand that status quo is not good enough – we need to move forward as a region.”
The Chamber & CREDC and DCRA’s goal is to have Amazon visit the region and the site. Appropriate follow up will be made in the coming months to discuss with them the conceptual plans to support the 8 million square feet of office space and population growth.
A final decision will be made by Amazon in 2018.
The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC serves as a catalyst for promoting growth and quality of life in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties by providing a unique blend of business, community and economic development and advocacy services under one roof to boost our economic vitality and livability as a region. The Chamber & CREDC has been accredited with five stars from the United States Chamber of Commerce