Somerville Unveils 'Amazon On The T' Proposal For HQ

SOMERVILLE, MA – Somerville tossed its hat in the ring this week for Amazon HQ2, the e-commerce giant's planned second headquarters that's expected to bring tens of thousands of jobs and billions in investments to to wherever sets up camp. Predictably, this has sent communities nationwide into a frenzy – Massachusetts alone sent two dozen separate bids to the company Thursday. Somerville's proposal, dubbed "Amazon on the T," suggests using sites in up to five communities interconnected by the Orange Line or Green Line to combine for Amazon's desired 8 million square feet of space.

The city's proposal touts greater Boston's rich educational, cultural and economic opportunities, citing its breadth of universities, diverse workforce, arts and culture, transit system and availability of mixed-use sites. It also invites Amazon to partner to create a "new standard for corporate citizenship."

"Our cities have long-range visions for our future. In Somerville, for one, we are doggedly pursuing the ambitious goals laid out by our community in our 20-year SomerVision comprehensive plan," Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone writes in his introductory letter. "It strives to bring us the jobs, affordable housing, transit, open space, city services, environmental stewardship, quality education, and other goals that will keep our community and our diverse residents here and thriving. We invite Amazon not just to set up shop here, but to become a community and regional partner committed to advancing these goals with determination and creativity."

"Amazon on the T" outlines two possible building plans. "Amazon on the Orange Line" would include building sites at Assembly Square, North Point and North Station, with Sullivan Square earmarked for possible expansion, to combine for 8.3 million square feet of space. "Amazon on the Green Line" would build at Union Square and Boynton Yards, North Point and North Station, amounting to 8 million square feet.

Take a look at Somerville's full proposal below:

Amazon on the T Somerville Ma Digital by Alex Newman on Scribd

Zavian Tate, a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, pushes a large Amazon Dash button, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)