WASHINGTON — College Park, Maryland, thinks it checks off every box on Amazon’s wish list for a location for its second headquarters and is ready to get the ball rolling.
Amazon has set an Oct. 19 deadline for cities or jurisdictions to submit their proposals.
The University of Maryland said it is prepared to partner with the state, Prince George’s County, the City of College Park and neighboring jurisdictions to make the pitch.
The university said it meets all the requirements in last week’s “Request for Proposals,” including direct access to mass transit, international airports, potential to attract and retain technical talent and a connection to world-class higher education.
Amazon’s request for proposals also requires the ability to deliver a campus environment with millions of square feet available for development.
“When you read through the entire Amazon H2Q RFP, it screams the University of Maryland and College Park,” said Chief Strategy Officer Ken Ulman.
“We hit the marks in every category — land availability, business friendly environment, labor force, logistics, cultural community fit and so much more,” he said.
College Park can tout its Discovery District as a catalyst for Amazon’s presence.
Discovery District is part of its $2 billion public-private investment Greater College Park initiative.
Within the next five years, the Discovery District, across from the main entrance to campus and anchored by the new The Hotel at the University of Maryland, which opened last week, will include 2.7 million square feet of development for research facilities, startup companies and existing companies, housing and public space.
Amazon has said it will invest $5 billion in its second, full-fledged headquarters and said it will create tens-of-thousands of high-paying jobs.
