Move to Detroit, Amazon!
Detroit has delivered its bid for Amazon.com Inc.’s second North American headquarters, billionaire investor Dan Gilbert said in a tweet Thursday. “Motor City resides at intersection of muscles&brains, ideal place for @amazon,”…
DETROIT – NOVEMBER 21: The General Motors (GM) world headquarters building stands tallest amidst the Renaissance Center in the skyline of city’s downtown on November 21, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. As car and truck sales have plummeted across the country, large inventories are building at dealerships and factories. The Big Three U.S. automakers, General Motors (GM), Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, failed after appearing this week in Washington to receive money after asking the government for federal funds to curb the decline of the American auto industry. The city of Detroit, home to the Big Three, would be hardest hit if the government allows these auto makers to fall into bankruptcy. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Detroit has delivered its bid for Amazon.com Inc.’s second North American headquarters, billionaire investor Dan Gilbert said in a tweet Thursday.
“Motor City resides at intersection of muscles&brains, ideal place for @amazon,” Gilbert wrote.
In his tweet, he linked to a 3 minute, 35 second video created to accompany the bid, according to officials with Gilbert’s Rock Ventures.
The film by Detroiter Stephen McGee is packed with a variety of scenes throughout Detroit and Michigan. It goes beyond urban images and featuring the views of the Great Lakes. Poet Jessica Care More, of Detroit, delivers an inspiring message during the film as she notes Detroit’s deep history, its innovation and its international connection with Windsor.
The video was placed on the www.detroitmovestheworld.com, a website designed to give views a taste of what’s going in the city, said Whitney Eichinger, vice president of communications for Rock Ventures.
The video ends with the phrase “Move here. Move the World,” a timely message for Amazon.
“Not only is the city and the large, regional group working on this bid excited for the possibility of landing one of the world’s largest and most innovative businesses and the 50,000 jobs it could bring with it – the entire region came together to join forces and collaborate to show the world that Detroit was made to move,” Eichinger said.
Last month, Amazon announced plans to invest $5 billion and create 50,000 high-paying jobs averaging $100,000 a year in a second headquarters that Amazon calls “HQ2.” The announcement sent cities across the country scrambling to put together proposals, including one assembled by a 59-member committee led by Gilbert.
Details of the bid have not been revealed. However, officials touted plans to highlight the city’s proximity to Windsor as part of a “bi-national” proposal as well as the city’s revival.
“Detroit has a vision for the future...” Eichinger said. “We are redefining the future of mobility, innovation, business and culture. With unparalleled infrastructure, unlimited access to resources and innovative talent, Detroit’s momentum is undeniable.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
