Houston area company tries to land Amazon headquarters
HOUSTON -- Generation Park-a 4,000-acre mixed-use project developed by McCord Development-is looking to reel Amazon into the Lake Houston area.
McCord Development is putting the finishing touches on a pitch to bring the tech giant to Generation Park, which is located along Beltway 8 near Atascocita, McCord Development CEO Ryan McCord said.
Amazon announced in early September plans to open a second North American headquarters. Cities and regional economic development organizations have until Oct. 19 to submit proposals to Amazon. The company is expected to look through applications in early 2018.
Amazon said it will need approximately 8 million square feet of space for its location. Generation Park has the space to accommodate a campus and local amenities to attract the company, McCord said.
"We can easily accommodate what they're talking about as their ultimate built out condition and ultimate workforce population without it being a strain or having a negative impact on our region," McCord said.
Generation Park could provide several advantages for the company, such as proximity to an international airport, downtown Houston and the ship channel in addition to access to the Greater Houston area's diverse workforce, he said.
The community also has a vast supply of homes a short distance away from Generation Park for potential Amazon' workers-more than 12,000 homes are planned to be built within Humble ISD's boundaries between 2015-25, according to demographics firm Population and Survey Analysts.
With several cities, municipalities and developers competing for the headquarters, McCord said he expects incentives to play a role in Amazon's decision. The developer is preparing a package of incentives in addition to what the state and county offer through its role as a management district.
A management district is a special district created by the Texas Legislature to promote economic development. The districts have the authority to issue bonds and receive ad valorem taxes, to fund improvements and services throughout its coverage area.
However, McCord said he would not disclose the incentives that the Generation Park Management District will offer.
This story was through our partnership with Community Impact Newspapers
