Valley doesn't make the cut for Amazon headquarters, supports Cleveland
The Youngstown-Warren area didn't make the cut to become the next headquarters for Amazon, but that hasn't stopped leaders from hoping the company will make its new home in northeast Ohio.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Youngstown-Warren area didn't make the cut to become the next headquarters for Amazon, but that hasn't stopped leaders from hoping the company will make its new home in northeast Ohio.
According to a release from the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, it was determined that the Valley doesn't meet the criteria to apply for Amazon's proposed second corporate headquarters.
According to a media release from the Chamber, the group reviewed the requirements for the headquarters to determine whether this market fits the criteria, which includes:
- Metro area with more than one million people.
- An initial 500,000 square feet of building space, and a total of up to eight million square feet for future phase completion.
- A pad-ready site of 100-250 acres with utility infrastructure in place.
- Less than a 45-minute drive to an international airport
- Immediate access to major highways and mass transit.
- A stable and business-friendly environment.
- A highly educated workforce.
- Quality of life and cultural community fit.
The Chamber and several local elected officials had agreed that, in the Valley, Enterprise Park at Eastwood in Trumbull County was the site that was best suited for the project and came closest to meeting specifications.
The Chamber submitted a proposal for Enterprise Park as its preferred site to TeamNEO and JobsOhio for consideration for submission to Amazon
Sarah Boyarko, Senior Vice President of Economic Development at the Regional Chamber, said, "Like other communities in Ohio that worked with their regional partners throughout this process, we walked through the positives and negatives of our submission with TeamNEO. As we knew going in, we did not meet all of Amazon's criteria for the project."
While Enterprise Park itself fit the site requirements, the Valley fell short on criteria such as having a population of at least one million people, being located less than 45 minutes from an international airport, and more.
But the Valley leaders say they're still hopeful that the project could bring growth to northeast Ohio. That's why they're supporting a proposal from Cleveland to become HQ2.
According to the chamber, Cleveland offered the only site in northeast Ohio to meet or exceed all of Amazon's criteria.
"Should Cleveland be selected for HQ2, the Youngstown-Warren area would inevitably grow, as well, with new investment from likely spinoff opportunities and the potential for local expansion—especially among our service providers—to support the company. The employment opportunities Amazon would bring—50,000 jobs over 10-15 years—are undeniable, too," Boyarko added.
HQ2 is expected to be a five billion dollar investment.
Regional Chamber COO James Dignan previously told 21 News that the Chamber was aware that Youngstown did not meet all of the criteria, but said it was all about collaborating and reaching out.
"Though this opportunity may seem out of reach for our market, this type of collaboration is exactly what it takes to effectively compete for these opportunities," Dignan said. "We all recognize that success in regional economic development is accomplished through partnerships, and our role at the Regional Chamber is to coordinate with our counties, cities, townships, and villages to drive job creation and new capital investment in the Valley through business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts. The long-term goal of all of our partners is to ultimately advance economic development and the related activities supporting the growth of jobs in the Valley."
Amazon is expected to announce its chosen location in 2018.
