Miami's Elected Officials Giddy To Welcome 'Amazonians'

MIAMI, FL — When Miami Mayor Francis Suarez took the podium on Thursday to introduce the city's new police chief he seemed almost giddy. News had just broken that the Magic City made Amazon's shortlist of possible cities to host the online behemoth's second corporate headquarters. Visions of 50,000 high-paying jobs and a $5 billion shot to the area economy were difficult to ignore. Suarez and other elected officials simply couldn't wait to welcome the "Amazonians" to this tropical paradise — if they'll have us, that is.

See also Miami Makes Amazon's Short List Of Cities

"This is indeed a special day in the city of Miami — not just because Amazon selected us as one of the top 20 cities in the nation — but that is for tomorrow."

The audience erupted into smiles and applause — Amazon smiles of course.

"I think it's very important that we got in this hunt and it's not a surprise to say that we would be one of the top 20 cities in the country," Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell said in an interview with Patch. "Now is where the real work comes to see what are we willing to work on together with Amazon to see if this is the right fit for both of us. There' s a lot of cities just really bending over backwards, doing whatever it takes to attract them there to their cities."

Russell, who chairs the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency in downtown Miami, said that the city signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Miami-Dade School Board earlier this week to combine nine acres of land into what would make a "potentially amazing" campus for Amazon. He said that the parcel, which is located West of the Adrienne Arsht Center, was not on the company's radar during its initial consideration.

"Our job is to challenge them to see Miami for what it is. If they want to be a part of this diverse immigrant community that has its ups and down — and we can grow together, and it's beneficial for the city — then I think a partnership can be had," according to Russell.

He said that Miami has much to offer. "Where Miami's location is with regard to Europe and South America, Central America and the Caribbean, this is strategically a very good position for Amazon, book-ending the country with their two headquarters and access to the other hemispheres," he explained.

With the addition of the new Brightline train service from Palm Beach to Miami in the coming months, the area also now offers better regional connectivity.

"With the new Brightline, the Tri-Rail, we do have regional connectivity that wasn't there before. So the north-south line is getting better," Russell said. "Within the core of Miami between the [Metromove] and the Metrorail and our trolley system, there is a good infrastructure that they can tap into."

The lack of potential locations large enough to accommodate Amazon's campus was one of the negatives of the area cited in an analysis by Moody's Analytics. But there were also a number of positives.

"Miami-Dade offers many advantages in its bid to be selected to for Amazon's second headquarters," according to Moody's. "Amazon is a logistics behemoth and Miami is a leading distribution center — Miami International is the nation's second busiest airport as ranked by metric tonnes of international freight and Port Miami is the only East Coast port south of Virginia capable of docking the largest ships that can navigate through the recently expanded Panama Canal."

Moody's also pointed to the fact that there are no state or local income taxes in Florida, which would be like giving Amazon employees a pay raise. CEO Jeff Bezos also graduated from a Miami-area high school so he is already familiar with the area.

"I think we're trying very hard to elevate our community in a way that brings in a workforce that is vital and vibrant and forward thinking," Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told Patch after dedicating a new water element in South Pointe Park on Thursday night.

He too pointed to Bezos' roots to South Miami.

"It would be great for us. I hope they realize that our community has great things to offer and even greater things in the future," said Gelber. "I think Miami and the Dade County area is only looking forward to improve its public schools, improve its arts and culture and provide the kinds of amenities and elements that a workforce would want and enjoy."

Democratic congressional candidate and sitting Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez told Patch she hopes Amazon will pick Miami for what it has to offer in the way of access to Latin America and other business benefits rather than some form of government inducement.

"Any other industry that we can bring in apart from hospitality and real estate are welcome," said Rosen Gonzalez, who noted that Miami-Dade needs more high-tech jobs, but ones that don't necessarily require a high-tech workforce to be in place. "That's the kind of company that brings in jobs that don't necessarily require a high level of skill."

Amazon's new fulfillment center in Melbourne, Australia welcomes "Amazonians" as the facility opened in November. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images.