La Plata, MD – The Economic Development Department announced Thursday, Oct. 19 that Charles County has submitted a proposal in response to the e-commerce based retailer Amazon’s HQ2 Request for Proposal (RFP). Amazon announced their intent to explore potential locations in North America for the company’s second corporate headquarters. On Sept. 7, 2017, Amazon released a RFP identifying a competitive site selection process for the potential location of Amazon HQ2.
The Economic Development Department collaborated with the Maryland Department of Commerce and the Greater Washington Board of Trade to create a competitive response to Amazon’s RFP. Charles County’s proposal outlines the site’s unique position to attract and retain talent, foster a sense of place, and promote the county’s culture and creativity—offering the best competitive cost/land based option in southern Maryland.
Charles County has the geographic proximity to three major airports and international markets, incomparable quality of life and workforce talent, and geographically diverse recreation options which are realistically capable of achieving Amazon’s highest standards of sustainability and connectivity.
“Our strategic location in the Metro D.C. area and lower cost of doing business makes Charles County a prime location for investment—Amazon’s or other businesses seeking to relocate or expand,” said Director of the Economic Development Department Darréll Brown, Esq. “We also have access to an educated workforce, available commercial properties, and a great quality of life.”
Charles County is located 30 minutes from Ronald Reagan National Airport and 40 minutes from the nation’s Capital, the White House, and major federal government offices. The county’s cost of doing business and cost of living are lower than the Washington, D.C. metro area’s as a whole. Additionally, commercial land prices and lease rates are significantly less than other parts of the Washington, D.C. metro region.
The potential Charles County site is a 435-acre undeveloped parcel, currently on the market. Approximately one-quarter mile from U.S. Route 301, the site is located in the county’s population centers of Waldorf, White Plains, and La Plata, where the area’s labor force within a 45-minute commute exceeds 1.3 million. Amazon requires 1 million.
“Having Amazon consider the Washington, D.C. metro area as a potential headquarters’ location shows that the area, including Charles County, is competitive for world class investment and the thousands of jobs that come with it,” said Commissioner President Peter F. Murphy.
Amazon’s second headquarters expects to create as many as 50,000 new full-time-jobs with an average annual compensation exceeding $100,000 per employee. Amazon initially plans to start phase I work on 500,000-square-feet of space by 2019 but could expand up to 8,000,000-square-feet beyond 2027. The project could exceed $5 billion in capital investment over the initial 15-17 years of the project.