Times Staff Report
Giant Amazon boxes appeared around Birmingham on Monday as part of the city’s official intent to pursue the tech giant’s second headquarters location.
Boxes appeared in Railroad Park and at The Pizitz – with another taking shape at Legion Field. Mayor William Bell announced Monday afternoon that Birmingham will be responding to the company-issued RFP and asked for the citizens of Birmingham to play a part in communicating a message to Amazon.
A robust campaign team – spearheaded by Bell and comprising of public and private leadership – has been assembled to support the endeavor and will continue to grow as the city looks to Amazon’s Oct. 19 deadline.
The boxes are the first phase of the leadership team’s campaign, Bring Amazon to Birmingham – or “BringAtoB” – which will engage citizens in and around the city to share why the Magic City should be considered during the submission phase.
Amazon has said it wants to build a second headquarters it is calling HQ2 that will match the $5 billion investment and 50,000 jobs at its current headquarters in Seattle.
“Amazon needs a city which thinks like they do – big and creatively. Over the last decade, our city has relentlessly invested in infrastructure and technology. In doing so we’ve built a thriving creative and economic landscape that’s primed for a company like Amazon,” said Bell. “That’s why we are calling upon everyone to help deliver a powerful, welcoming message to Amazon.”
Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington said, “The Birmingham metro area offers Amazon a real opportunity to actively participate in the redefinition of a community that is already in the midst of an accelerated transformation. The entire Jefferson County Commission is fully committed to doing our very best to make this opportunity a reality.”
Citizens are encouraged to participate by using the hashtag #BringAtoB and tagging @amazon in social media, telling the tech giant why the Magic City is the perfect fit for HQ2. All appropriately hashtagged photos and comments will be captured and displayed on BringAtoB.com.
“Every great city across the United States is competing for consideration – bringing everything they can to the table to stand out. But we have a big advantage over all those: our citizens. Their united voice will undoubtedly prove to Amazon that Birmingham is a bold bet worth making,” added Bell.
For more information, please visit BringAtoB.com, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
