You can add El Paso to the growing list of cities trying to lure online giant Amazon—and its jobs—to the Sun City.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced on Thursday the company is looking for a location to build a second North American headquarters to mirror its facility in Seattle. The $5 billion project is expected to create as many as 50,000 jobs.
Amazon is asking cities to submit proposals. Jessica Herrera, director of Economic Development for the City of El Paso, told NewsChannel 9 that El Paso will be among the applications.
“Definitely,” Herrera said. “Our region, in partnership with other organizations, we’re going to submit a very creative and very impactful bid.”
Herrera said her office has proposal packages ready to go instances like this, and that the City has different plots of land set aside for potential projects.
Herrera told KTSM El Paso’s demographics and proximity to the border could be its biggest asset.
“We are what the rest of the country will look like in 10, 15 years,” Herrera said. “We’re 83 percent Hispanic and bilingual. Our quality and cost of living exceeds the standards.”
The Sun City will likely face tough competition. Chicago, Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles are already eyeing submissions. Amazon has given cities until October 19 to submit proposals.
Amazon estimates its investments in Seattle from 2010 through 2016 resulted in an additional $38 billion to that city’s economy.
