Why You Can Trust CNET Newark releases Amazon HQ2 proposal highlighting the city's diversity, tech infrastructure
The New Jersey city released the document after a February lawsuit requested access to the proposal. Amazon is expected to make a decision this year.
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Newark, New Jersey's bid for Amazon HQ2 has finally been delivered.
Newark's Amazon HQ2 proposal is over 200 pages long and highlights the city's diversity, tech infrastructure and transportation systems. Information on financial incentives Newark is offering Amazon were redacted.
On Wednesday, the city released its proposal to host the e-commerce giant's second headquarters after resident Steven Wronko sued for access to it in February. The proposal, titled "Yes, Newark," is more than 200 pages long and highlights the city's diverse population, tech infrastructure and transportation systems. It also offers suggested locations for the headquarters and touts more than 50 pages of letters of recommendations.
The city redacted the financial incentives it is offering the Seattle e-tailer. (Here are parts one, two and three of Newark's bid.)
Amazon has been on the hunt for a city to host its second headquarters since September and plans to make a selection later this year. In January, the company unveiled 20 finalists after vetting proposals from 238 communities in the US, Canada and Mexico. The company has said HQ2 will match its Seattle headquarters in size and importance, and the company expects to spend more than $5 billion on the project.
HQ2 could add up to 50,000 high-paying jobs over the next 15 to 17 years, Amazon estimates.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.
CJ Griffin, the attorney who represented Wronko, said Newark should have made its bid public from the start.
"Other finalist cities put their proposals online as part of their PR campaigns to win Amazon over," Griffin said in a statement. "The citizens of those other finalist cities got to be part of the process and see how their cities were being promoted. That builds pride and buy-in from residents. The people of Newark were completely excluded, but we are happy that they can now be part of the process."
Aisha Glover, president and CEO of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation and head of Newark's Amazon bid, said the city wasn't trying to hide anything by keeping the proposal private.
"The city originally wanted to maintain confidentiality only to ensure our competitive bid throughout the process," Glover said.
US Sen. Cory Booker, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy met with Amazon representatives earlier this month to talk about potential locations for HQ2, according to NJ.com.
Analysts have suggested that the two most likely areas to be chosen for HQ2 are the Washington, DC, metro area or the New York metro area.
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First published April 26, 1:59 p.m. PT
Update, April 27 at 2:27 p.m.: Adds comment from Aisha Glover.