BUSINESS

Amazon HQ to NJ? Central Jersey woos Jeff Bezos

Susan Loyer
Courier News and Home News Tribune
A rendering by Elkus Manfriedi Architects of a proposed plan for Amazon's second headquarters in Middlesex County.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY - Competition is fierce as Amazon continues its search for the perfect location for its second corporate headquarters in North America, and New Jersey is hoping to make that dream a reality.  

In Middlesex County, officials are coordinating with the New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO), the state and its municipal partners to respond to Amazon’s request for proposals in hopes that the company will land in the county, according to a statement.  

“Middlesex County has everything that Amazon is seeking, and we are working with our partners to put the strongest possible proposal together to bring Amazon to our community,” Middlesex County Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios said in the statement.

“Why? This could mean 50,000 new, full-time jobs. It will boost the local and regional economies. It will raise the quality of life of all our residents and enhance our already strong business environment.”

READ:Amazon unveils 30-acre rooftop solar installation in Carteret

READ:Amazon Jobs Day draws hundreds to Robbinsville

READ: Edison, Cranbury among 3 new Amazon sites

The search 

Amazon, which has a corporate headquarters in Seattle, announced recently that it plans to invest at least $5 billion in the project, which comes with a promise of tens of thousands of new full-time jobs. The company is soliciting proposals, with a required response date of Oct.19.  

In response to the request for proposals, The New Jersey Partnership for Action (PFA), composed of Choose New Jersey, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), the Business Action Center and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, has reached out to every county in the state to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive proposal is submitted, according to a statement.

The state intends to submit the strongest possible proposal, identifying only those sites that meet all of the main evaluative criteria set by Amazon, the release said.

“We’ve already heard from some county executives that they plan to compete for Amazon’s HQ2, and we encourage every locality that may be interested to submit a proposal,”  Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean Jr. said in a statement. “New Jersey’s many business resources, including the Business Action Center, ChooseNJ, and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, can be tapped to help highlight the benefits and support available to employers in the Garden State.”

Noting the potential need for imminent action to pass legislation that may be identified as necessary during this process, Kean called on the Legislature to be prepared to act quickly.

New Jersey already has a strong connection to Amazon, including fulfillment centers in such communities as Carteret, Avenel section of Woodbridge and Robbinsville. Amazon announced earlier this year that fullfillment centers will open in Edison, Cranbury and Logan Township. According to Amazon's website, it has more than 13,000 employees in New Jersey, not including the thousands of employees hired for seasonal positions. 

Audible, an Amazon subsidiary, is based in Newark. Another subsidiary, Whole Foods, has a strong presence in New Jersey and will open its first Middlesex County location Oct. 11 in Metuchen, while  a new location in Somerset County is to open early next year.

Middlesex County's plan

"We believe that New Brunswick has extraordinary potential," said Christopher Paladino, president of DEVCO, which is the economic development arm that has taken the lead in preparing Middlesex County's response. "It checks all the boxes." 

Paladino said the proposed plan is a joint effort of the county, New Brunswick, DEVCO and Rutgers University.

A rendering by Elkus Manfriedi Architects of a New Brunswick site included in Middlesex County's proposed plan for Amazon's second headquarters.

According to Amazon's website, in choosing the location for its HQ2, the company has a preference for metropolitan areas with more than 1 million people, a stable and business-friendly environment, urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent, and communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options.

The project's ideal site would be 45 minutes from an International Airport, not more than one to two miles from major highways and arterial roads, and have access to mass transit, according to Amazon.  

"They want to be within a population center of at least a million people, which we are," Paladino said. "They would like an environment where partnerships with major research universities are the norm, and obviously our partnership with Rutgers University and potentially Princeton (University) puts us in the top echelon of research universities across the country. They want to be within 45 minutes of an international airport that has frequent service to both Europe and Seattle, which New Brunswick is."

The city also is home to the New Brunswick Train Station and has easy access to major highways, Paladino said. The company wants to be where they will be able recruit high-tech employees, he said.

"New Jersey as a whole and Middlesex County and New Brunswick are right on the mark," Paladino said.  

Included in the planned proposal is the Hub at New Brunswick Station, a six-acre downtown area, which was the former home of Ferren Mall.   

"There is a redevelopment plan already in place for that location," Paladino said. 

Also included in the proposed plan is Innovation Park on Rutgers' Livingston Campus in Piscataway and the New Jersey EDA Techology Park on northbound Route 1 in North Brunswick that borders New Brunswick and Rutgers' Cook College Campus. 

All of the sites are connected by the university bus system and bikeways, Paladino said. 

"There are a ton of Rutgers graduates, who are already a part of the Amazon family," Paladino said. "Having them here in New Brunswick and on campus would go a long way." 

Paladino said DEVCO is working closely with New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Choose New Jersey.

"We hope to be part of a package that goes to Amazon that highlights not just our project, but the state of New Jersey," Paladino said.   

Several others involved in the plan agree. 

“Bringing Amazon here makes our entire region a winner,” said Middlesex County Freeholder Kenneth Armwood, chair of the county’s Business Development and Education Committee. “And Middlesex County will be at the center of it all.” 

"The specifications in the Amazon request for proposals are ideally suited to and for New Brunswick," New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill said. "Centrally located on the most traveled rail line in the country in close proximity to all major markets and a ready workforce from Rutgers University in a wide variety of engineering, mathematics, analytics, research and development fields, few locales will compare favorably with New Brunswick.

"As a walkable and livable city, ready access to mass transit, major highways and airports and the fastest-growing urban center in the state, New Brunswick has a proven track record of success across the board. With Amazon's increased presence throughout New Jersey, New Brunswick would be a premier site for Amazon's HQ2."

"As one of America’s top research and entrepreneurial institutions, with an Innovation Park designed to allow industry and academic researchers to work together on new ideas and breakthroughs, our campus and the New Brunswick community would serve as fertile ground for a new Amazon headquarters, which would benefit the region's and New Jersey's workforce and economy," according to a statement from Rutgers-New Brunswick. 

Paladino said DEVCO also is continuing to talk to other mayors in the region, but "part of this is you have to keep it in a relatively finite geographical area." 

East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen said he is working to have his township included in the plan. 

"I think Middlesex County has a very good shot at being able to meet the criteria Amazon is looking for and I think we should work to get that proposal out," he said "My goal is to make sure East Brunswick is prominently considered in that Middlesex County bid. East Brunswick is a perfect location."

The mayor said East Brunswick is centrally located, has an educated community, a top-notch school system and is close to New York, Philadelphia and Newark  Airport.  

"Exit 9 is the dead-center point of the New Jersey Turnpike and it's East Brunswick," Cohen said. "One of the towers at (New Jersey Turnpike) Exit 9 has 25,000 square feet of empty office space that Amazon could come into tomorrow. We also have the Turnpike Authority Building, which is unused right now. You could put a building right there." 

Woodbridge also has been considering submitting a plan to Amazon.  

A rendering by Elkus Manfriedi Architects of a New Brunswick site included in Middlesex County's proposed plan for Amazon's second headquarters.

Township officials have been talking to developers, “but the office market is so strong that it is unlikely that we would have enough empty space to accommodate the project,” Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac said in an email. 

Other contenders 

Other communities are looking to land Amazon. 

Under the direction of Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, the Mercer County Office of Economic Development and Sustainability and the Mercer County Planning Department met recently to begin reviewing properties that could potentially fit the requirements.

“Mercer County has the perfect mix of proximity to large metropolitan areas, mass transit, a diverse, well-educated workforce, and access to numerous cultural and recreational resources that ensure a great quality of life,” Hughes said. “I plan to work with local and state officials to advocate on behalf of our county as the perfect site for Amazon’s new headquarters.” 

Next week, other Central Jersey counties are expected to announce what areas they would like to be considered for Amazon's new home, while Fort Monmouth is emerging as the Jersey Shore's top choice.

Staff Writer Susan Loyer: 732-565-7243; sloyer@gannettnj.com