Here's Where Amazon Could Build 'HQ2' in NYC

NEW YORK CITY — Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens could be the home of Amazon's massive second headquarters. The city's Economic Development Corporation submitted a proposal Wednesday to locate the giant online retailer's so-called HQ2 in one of four New York City neighborhoods: Midtown West, Lower Manhattan, the "Brooklyn Tech Triangle" and Long Island City.

Those areas were the four best situated to meet Amazon's needs of 500,000 square feet of space by 2019 and 8 million square feet in the long term, the proposal says. The Seattle-based firm says its headquarters would ultimately create 50,000 jobs and billions of dollars in economic impact.

Wednesday's proposal, a joint effort between the city and Empire State Development, marks New York's official entry in a heated nationwide competition to lure a $5 billion investment from one of the country's most valuable companies. The city touted its largest-in-the-nation workforce, which includes 2.3 million people with at least a bachelor's degree. New York is also already home to several Amazon offices, shipping warehouses and retail shops.

Watch: Winning Amazon's HQ2 Sweepstakes Has Pros And Cons

"Companies don’t just come to New York. They become part of New York, interconnected with our civic life, our institutions and our broader economy," Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote in a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. "We want Amazon to be part of the New York story."

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The city's four proposed locations across three boroughs include more than 62 million square feet of combined space in neighborhoods that have seen major growth in recent years. But the bid does not say precisely where Amazon could set up shop in each area, or provide any estimates of cost or economic impact.

The EDC got more than two dozen ideas last month from more than 40 developers across the five boroughs. Ultimately, neither Staten Island nor the Bronx showed they had enough space to host HQ2.

Midtown West, an area encompassing Hudson Yards and Penn Station, could offer Amazon up to 26 million square feet of space in "a wide range of building types," the proposal says. Long Island City has half as much, but offers comparably cheaper real estate prices, it says.

The Brooklyn Tech Triangle offers more than 15 million square feet in an area comprising DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which the city is trying to turn into a high-tech business park. Downtown Manhattan has the least space — 8.5 million square feet — but has seen an influx of tech firms, the proposal says.

The city touted each area's ability to retain businesses and their proximity to mass transit hubs and cultural institutions, all key criteria of Amazon's Sept. 7 request for proposals.

No matter where HQ2 goes, it could bring the city billions of dollars in tax revenue and help diversify its workforce, the proposal says. The bid was accompanied by a letter from more than 70 elected officials from across the city, a show of widespread political support.

De Blasio, a Democrat seeking re-election this year, has said the city will not offer Amazon tax breaks or other incentives to make New York its second home. That will be up to Empire State Development, which reportedly has a sizable incentive package ready for Amazon. The state is also supporting bids from upstate regions such as the Finger Lakes and the cities of Syracuse and Albany, The New York Times reported.

“This project is a major opportunity and New Yorkers should know that we are doing everything we can to attract Amazon HQ2 — and 50,000 jobs — to the Empire State,” Zemsky said in a statement, according to the Times.

Read an outline of New York City's Amazon proposal below.

(Lead image: Video screens in Times Square were lit in "Amazon Orange" Wednesday night to support New York City's "HQ2" proposal. Photo from New York City Economic Development Corporation)