Community Corner
Amazon, Ga? New City Would Get Tech Namesake If Company Picks DeKalb Site
Stonecrest council passes resolution that could lead to the formation of a city called Amazon if the firm picks a DeKalb site for its HQ.
STONECREST, GA -- The city of Stonecrest is getting creative in its bid to lure Amazon's proposed second headquarters to Georgia.The Stonecrest City Council voted 4-2 Monday to de-annex nearly 350 acres of real estate if the company chooses the site over other cities, And the good part? The land will be called Amazon, Ga., the mayor of Stonecrest said, according to local media.
The Seattle-based tech giant announced Sept. 7 that it would build a new North America headquarters in a metropolitan city with an international airport, touching off a frenzied national competition. The project is expected to ring tens of thousands of jobs and raise the profile of the region -- wherever it's located -- immeasurably. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)
Mayor Jason Lary announced last month that Stonecrest was throwing its hat into the ring of cities competing for the tech hub. "“We are sending in our bid. We will be competing with Vancouver, Toronto, Atlanta and other major cities across the country,” he said in a statement last month. Citing the city's proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, he said, “I believe we have a good shot at drawing that type of platform."
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Watch: Amazon Is Expanding, And It Could Be Coming To A City Near You
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the city council's resolution petitions Georgia lawmakers to form the city of Amazon in what would be unincorporated DeKalb greenspace near Lithonia Industrial Boulevard and Coffee Road.
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“There are several major U.S. cities that want Amazon, but none has the branding opportunity we are now offering this visionary company,” Lary was quoted as saying. “How could you not want your 21st century headquarters to be located in a city named Amazon?”
Georgia officials, including Gov. Nathan Deal, are currently preparing a package to woo Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The deadline for municipalities to submit is Oct. 19.
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