Northeast Pennsylvania will make a pitch to be home to Amazon's second North American corporate headquarters.
Penn's Northeast is leading an effort to create a joint application with economic development representatives from five counties: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Monroe and Schuykill.
“This is one of the first times where an organization like Penn's Northeast puts in a joint application because it's the only way we would have a chance,” Chief Executive Officer John Augustine said Thursday.
Scranton City Councilman Bill Gaughan spoke about the collaboration at Thursday's council meeting, saying even if it's a long shot, it is worth trying.
“There would be a great value in putting the proposal together and making a push for this, even if we do get rejected,” Gaughan said. “I think this gives us just another opportunity to tell our story and to promote the city of Scranton and the region.”
Amazon issued a request for proposals to cities and economic development organizations to host an operation where the online retail giant expects to spend $5 billion on construction and create as many as 50,000 jobs.
The company describes its ideal location as a metropolitan area with more than one million people, a stable and business-friendly environment and urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent, among other criteria.
Robert Durkin, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, said initially, his intuition tells him the business would probably want to set up shop somewhere along the corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C.
“Those places have challenges too: the density of population, the cost of doing business, the challenge of finding land and property to make this happen,” Durkin said. “When you pause and think about it, if there is an alternative, why not give a little consideration to something that's a little bit off of that corridor? … We have, in a microscale, everything that they're asking for.”
Some of the region's selling points that officials noted are a low cost of living, a transportation network that includes interstates 81 and 84, numerous colleges, proximity to major cities, having three Amazon facilities within an hour and many quality of life amenities.
Given the size of the facility and the number of projected employees, officials agree the spillover effects would be enormous across the region if Amazon picks Northeast Pennsylvania.
Representatives from all five counties are planning to meet next week to draft an application.
If it doesn't work out, Durkin said the work will still result in a regional template to seek out future economic development options. Augustine said it sends the message the area is open for business.
“Let's use this to put Northeast Pennsylvania on the map so, if not Amazon, it positions us to reach out to others who are looking for economic development opportunities like this,” Augustine said. “You might not hit the grand slam this time, but maybe you hit a triple. Maybe you get another company.”
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