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State Proposes Stamford, Hartford Regions As Sites For Second Amazon HQ

STAMFORD, Conn. – The state of Connecticut has chosen the Hartford and Stamford regions as the state's two sites for its proposal to Amazon for the company's second headquarters.

Connecticut has chosen the Stamford and Hartford regions as potential sites for a second Amazon headquarters in the state.

Connecticut has chosen the Stamford and Hartford regions as potential sites for a second Amazon headquarters in the state.

Photo Credit: File

Last month, Amazon announced that it was seeking a site for a second headquarters, known as "Amazon HQ2." The new headquarters is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs and bring in billions in investment. Cities around the country have submitted themselves as potential candidates for the new headquarters, including Danbury and Bridgeport.

“With a highly skilled talent pool, great schools and world class universities, Connecticut offers a great quality of life and is an ideal location for Amazon’s second headquarters,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said when announcing the selection of the two sites. “We believe that the Hartford and Stamford regions best fit the criteria set forth by the company and we know that both communities will give us a competitive advantage. We are grateful to all of the communities that have shown interest. Should Connecticut be chosen, the entire state stands to benefit.”

The state reviewed 17 submissions and selected the Hartford and Stamford regions as the strongest contenders. The two sites closely match the criteria set forth by Amazon, and are poised to be very competitive nationally, according to the announcement. Among the reasons cited were the regions' populations of over a million people, their deep talent pool, the close proximity to international airports, and easy access to mass transit, highways and arterial roads.

“The Stamford and Hartford area proposals, while quite different, offer Amazon great opportunities for growth,” said Catherine Smith, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. “It is important to remember that a project of this magnitude will have far-reaching, positive impacts well beyond the project site. If one of these two sites is fortunate enough to be selected, the entire state will benefit."

Stamford Mayor David Martin said in a statement that his office had heard from many residents who were excited about a potential Amazon second headquarters in Stamford.

"This is a competitive process and we are a David among Goliaths," Martin said. "But our city and the region are uniquely positioned to respond back to Amazon as we have the qualities that Amazon requested in its proposal. Stamford and the state’s package has a bold vision that will be very attractive to Amazon."

"That said, such a large company constructing a new business campus in our community will require teamwork and support from surrounding communities. So I have met with my fellow CEOs recently to brief them on the status of our proposal plan and we further discussed what a potential new headquarters would mean for our region."

The state said that while these two cities have been chosen for submission, the state will remain flexible and adaptive to Amazon's needs. The DECD is working with both communities to finalize the state's submittal, which is due Oct. 19.

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