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Could Bridgeport Become Home To The Amazon HQ2 Headquarters?

Every city in North America wants to be the home of the new Amazon headquarters — but which cities realistically have a shot at the $5 billion prize? 

Robert Christoph Jr. of Bridgeport Landing Development and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim survey the waterfront from Steelpointe Harbor this spring.

Robert Christoph Jr. of Bridgeport Landing Development and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim survey the waterfront from Steelpointe Harbor this spring.

Photo Credit: Meredith Guinness
Harlan Haus will open in a former People's Bank building that was once home to Roberto's restaurant in downtown Bridgeport.

Harlan Haus will open in a former People's Bank building that was once home to Roberto's restaurant in downtown Bridgeport.

Photo Credit: Meredith Guinness

Amazon announced plans to build what is calling HQ2 — promising jobs for as many 50,000 people on a campus similar to its current headquarters in Seattle. Those new workers would earn an average of over $100,000 a year.

MarketWatch set out to find the cities that fit the requirements — and one city from Connecticut made the grade as a top candidate: Bridgeport.  

Here are the criteria from Amazon;

  • Metropolitan areas with more than 1 million people. (The greater Bridgeport area has a population of 944,000, but MarketWatch said that was close enough.)
  • A stable and business-friendly environment. 
  • Urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent. 
  • Communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options. (That probably means tax breaks, MarketWatch said.) 

Using that criteria, MarketWatch settled on a list of its top candidates: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Bridgeport, Denver, New York, Provo, Raleigh, Tampa and Washington, D.C.

And there's one other city in Connecticut that wants to be in the mix — Hartford. Mayor Luke Bronin has issued statement that he plans to make a pitch to Amazon, according to NBC Connecticut.

"We want to find a city that is excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit," Amazon said on its search website.

Amazon's headquarters in Seattle includes 8.1 million square feet of space in 33 buildings with 24 restaurants. Over 40,000 employees work there. 

Click here for the story at MarketWatch. Click here for the story at NBC Connecticut. Click here for more information on the search from Amazon.

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