Newark being listed among 20 finalists for Amazon’s second headquarters, or HQ2, has brought international attention to New Jersey’s largest city. The possibility of the parent company behind the online marketplace, Whole Foods Market, and Audible.com massively expanding its presence in Newark has excited city and state officials so much that billions of dollars worth of controversial tax incentives are being offered. There is no doubt that if HQ2 is placed in the city, there would be a major impact on the entire region, but what do existing residents and business owners in Newark think about the proposal?
Although much of the decision-making for Newark’s original application was largely done behind closed doors with the exception of two press conferences, Newarkers are now getting the opportunity to weigh in on the City’s final submission to the company. According to a flyer released Monday by the city and the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC), the latter agency will hold two meetings this week so that Newarkers can provide their opinions regarding a potential Amazon headquarters in their city.
The first meeting will be held this Thursday, Feb. 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at PSEG’s headquarters, located at 80 Park Place. The flyer states that the meeting is for local merchants and will be co-sponsored by the Newark Regional Business Partnership. The second meeting will be designed for all city residents and will be hosted by the Newark Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the main branch by Washington Park. Both meetings will reportedly provide information about the impact of HQ2 on Newark and give attendees the opportunity to provide their ideas and concerns.
Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP to [email protected].
Currently, Downtown Newark is home to the headquarters of Amazon’s audiobook subsidiary Audible.com and New York is about to become the home of a new office for the company. Both cities are the only municipalities in the New York Metropolitan Area to be included on the list of the top 20 finalists.
