Astorino (podium):
“We have it all”
WHITE PLAINS – As Amazon looks to locate a second world headquarters, with possibly thousands of jobs, Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino unveiled his sales pitch to the company on Tuesday.
Surrounded by business leaders, Astorino touted the county’s proximity to New York City with a much cheaper cost of doing business, several available sites, the county’s strong labor force and its access to transportation including Metro-North Railroad.
“We have big parkways, 684, the Sawmill,” Astorino said. “We also have, from there, Stewart Airport is not that far. We also have the county airport and of course, you can get to the city, Jersey and Newark. We have it all and that is what is going to set us apart from other locations around the country.”
“Westchester County has the features Amazon and companies like them are looking for in terms of population, access to mass transit, and educational institutions,” said William Mooney, Jr., president of the Westchester County Association. “Plus we have a great lifestyle, good schools, diverse communities and a few million square feet of available inventory.”
Astorino plans to present the county’s full sales pitch to the state for inclusion in a package of potential locations to Amazon.
Among the many competing cities is Bayonne, New Jersey, also citing proximity to the Big Apple, with the added benefit of a nice view of the Manhattan skyline.
Other competitors include Boston, Washington DC, Seattle and several Canadian cities.
