TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Officials in the Tucson area offered up large parcels of land and tax breaks for inclusion into Arizona’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters.
Pima County officials proposed a 120-acre parcel of land, dubbed the Sunset Innovation Campus, outside Tucson for the bid. Officials said the county-owned land west of Interstate 10 would be ideal for the online retailer because of its proximity to the University of Arizona, Mexico, transportation routes, the airport, and housing and shopping, the Arizona Daily Star reported on Wednesday.
The county purchased the site that includes more surrounding acreage for about $4 million several years ago.
The city of Tucson offered Amazon three types of tax incentives and mostly vacant lots near downtown. City officials said the tax breaks that Amazon could qualify for included a site-specific tax abatement, a property tax waiver and a tax incentive for creating new jobs.
The University of Arizona also offered 100 acres of its research and business park in southeast Tucson. The land would be part of the developing mixed-use Village at the Tech Park.
County and city officials said they don’t know if their proposals were added to the Arizona Commerce Authority’s final pitch to Amazon. The economic development organization declined the newspaper’s records request seeking the state proposal.
The Seattle-based retail giant received 238 proposals from cities and regions in the United States, Canada and Mexico by the October deadline. The company’s second home is expected to generate billions of dollars in investments and create 50,000 jobs.
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Information from: Arizona Daily Star, http://www.tucson.com
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