Coalition Reflects On Creating Philly's Amazon Headquarters Bid
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The coalition that put together the Philadelphia bid to land Amazon's second headquarters is now reflecting on how they crafted the proposal in six short, sleep-deprived weeks.
Now the waiting game begins as the world's largest online retailer sifts the bids.
PIDC president John Grady says cities across North America were "put into a frenzy 42 days ago" when Amazon put out the word. Grady says the results of Philadelphia's bid shows that there is a strong collaborative process here.
"Everyone in the room felt from the beginning that we have this great set of assets. Probably the most important thing was to make that pitch in a really authentic, genuine, Philadelphia way," Grady said.
Sylvie Gallier Howard, the chief of staff in the city's Commerce Department, says the core team researched the inner workings of Amazon - including its culture - even hanging out at its Seattle campus.
"I think we were particularly customer obsessed, which is their first principle of their 14 principles," Howard said.
Drexel University President John Fry, who is board chair of the Chamber of Commerce, believes they made a strong case that Philadelphia is the best fit for Amazon's HQ2.
"Our talent, affordability, infrastructure, location, and quality of life," he said.
Mayor Jim Kenney says Philadelphia has all of the ingredients the company needs to support its long term growth.
"Philadelphia is in the Goldilocks zone for Amazon. Just right," Kenney said.
The Amazon HQ2 coalition would not comment on its incentives package, including tax breaks, citing a nondisclosure agreement.
The city pitched three sites: the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia, and two in University City (Schuylkill Yards and uCity Square).
Kenney likes "the vibe" of the companies already at the Navy Yard, and its proximity to the highways and the airport. He also says Amazon could be attracted to the educational resources and innovation in University City.
Amazon's HQ2 is expected to bring up to 50,000 new jobs and a $5 billion investment.
