Officials Still Committed To Bringing Amazon To Camden County

Monday’s plea to Amazon to bring its new corporate headquarters to Newark hasn’t curbed Camden County’s enthusiasm to move forward in its efforts to bring the retail giant to Camden.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka appeared side by side on Monday afternoon, with Christie saying that the state will be throwing its power behind a bid to bring Amazon’s second corporate office – known as HQ2 – to Newark.

“The Freeholder Board has full faith and confidence that Camden’s Amazon submission is not just the best in the state, but the best out of the more than 50 other proposals by municipalities throughout the nation,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli said in response. “We believe that Camden possesses the best mix of assets, amenities and geography best suited for Amazon’s HQ2 headquarters and its 50,000 future employees. Furthermore, if the city does move forward in the process and Newark does not, we know the state of New Jersey will be supportive of our efforts to lure a transformative tech giant to the county. In short, yes we will move forward and yes, we believe we can win.”

See related article: Amazon Will Hire Thousands In New Jersey

Last month, the freeholder board unanimously approved a plan to to craft a proposal that makes a case for Camden County — specifically Camden City — as the best site for Amazon’s second North American headquarters.

Officials believe that its location near one of the largest airports in the nation, 30th Street station and Center City Philadelphia, as well as its relative proximity to New York City and Washington, D.C. make it a prime candidate.

According to Christie:

“Newark is prime for Amazon’s HQ2 development, and this deal would amount to one of the most successful endeavors in the history of New Jersey and Amazon. Newark is centrally located in the largest economic region, is a growing technology hub and offers the country’s fastest internet. It features an ecosystem that boasts unparalleled talent, connectivity, world-class higher education, vast transportation options and unique cultural amenities. For New Jerseyans, HQ2 means 50,000 new jobs and the creation of a larger consumer base and direct opportunities for local small businesses and vendors to grow and thrive. Adding tens of thousands of dedicated and community-oriented Amazon employees and their families will also further enrich our area neighborhoods and schools.”

See related article: These 7 New Jersey Towns Could Be In Running For New Amazon HQ

Patch file photo