GOOD
THURSDAY.
>> Evrod: AND WE ENJOY WORKING
WITH YOU, AS WELL.
>>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 50,000
JOBS AND A HUGE HEADQUARTERS.
WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT HERE
IN DETROIT.
SOME DETROIT LEADERS ARE SAYING
THEY WANT IT IN DETROIT AS
AAZON IS LOOKING TO EXPAND.
>> Rhonda: BILLIONAIRE DAN
GILBERT LEADING THE WAY ON THE
PITCH.
LOCAL 4'S NICK MONACELLI JOINING
US LIVE.
HOW CLOSE ARE WE AND HOW MANY
OTHER CITIES ARE WE UP AGAINST.
>> Nick: NOBODY ACTUALLY KNOWS
NOW.
AMAZON LAST MONTH PUT OUT WHAT'S
PROPOSAL.
AND TOLD EVERY CITY IN THE
NATION, DO YOU WANT US TO COME?
IF SO, SEND US YOUR IDEAS, YOUR
BID, YOUR PROPOSAL.
OCTOBER 16-19.
AND WE'VE GOT A GLIMPSE INTO
WHAT DETROIT IS SAYING WE COULD
OFFER IF AMAZON COMES HERE.
>> DETROIT IS A LEGIT CONTENDER.
>> Nick: DAN GILBERT HAS BEEN
INCREDIBLY VOCAL ABOUT BRINGING
THE SECOND HEADQUARTERS TO
DETROIT OR THE DETROIT AREA.
HE EVEN LAUNCHED THIS HYPE VIDEO
SHOWCASING OUR AREA AND OUR
PEOPLE, AND TODAY IS THE LAST
DAY TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS.
WE DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THE
PROPOSAL BEING SUBMITTED, BUT WE
KNOW THERE'S REGIONAL
COOPERATION AND THERE ARE LIKELY
SEVERAL LOCATIONS ON THE LIST.
ONE OF WHICH COULD BE THE SITE
OF THE OLD NORTHLAND MALL.
>> THIS IS NICE, BUT WE HAVE TO
MAKE UP FOR SEVERAL DECADES
HERE, RIGHT?
>> Nick: THIS IS A JOINT BID
WITH WINDS MAKING IT THE ONLY
BI-NATIONAL BID AMAZON IS LIKELY
TO RECEIVE.
IT WILL BRING $5 BILLION AND
50,000 HIGH-PAYING JOBS
AVERAGING $100,000 PER YEAR.
>> WE EITHER WIN THIS THING OR
WE'LL DIE TRYING.
>> Nick: IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT
THE STATE OF MICHIGAN IS
SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS AND
THERE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE TWO
OF THEM, DETROIT AND GRAND
RAPIDS, AND THE GOVERNOR WILL BE
SENDING A LETTER WITH BOTH
PROPOSALS SAYING THAT BOTH
OPTIONS ARE GOOD OPTIONS.
EVROD AND RHONDA.
I HAVE PUT ON MY VERY IMPORTANT
REPORTERS HAT.
AND I HAVE FIGURED OUT WHAT IS
THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT'S
GOING TO ATTRACT AMAZON HERE.
THAT IS THE FACT THAT WE
CONSIDER THURSDAYS FRIDAY EVE.
>> Rhonda: SEND IT AWAY!
[LAUGHTER]
>> Evrod: I WOULD BE EXCITED TO
SEE DETROIT AS NUMBER ONE.
THE OTHER CITY IS NUMBER TWO.
DO WE KNOW WHEN A DECISION WILL
ACTUALLY BE MADE BEING TODAY IS
THE DECISION FOR THE PROPOSAL?
>> Nick: WHEN AMAZON PUT OUT
THEIR RFP, REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL,
THEY WERE SPECIFIC, THE BUILDING
CLOSE TO.
ALL IT SAYS FOR A DECISION IS
2018.
SO WE HAVE 365 DAYS, I GUESS.
>> Rhonda: SO GOOD LUCK TO
DETROIT AND EVERYONE WHO PUT IN
THE EFFORT.
IF IT DOESN'T WORK FOR AMAZON,
MAYBE IT WILL FOR OTHER
COMPANIES.
>> Evrod: DAN GILBERT, WE KNOW
YOU HAVE CONNECTIONS IN THE
MORTGAGE INDUSTRY, TO SAY THE
LEAST.
>>> THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER
CITIES THROWING THEIR HATS IN
THE RING.
WE HAVE TO MENTION THEM.
>> Rhonda: THERE ARE UNIQUE
PITCHES OF THEIR OWN.
A COMPANY WILL CONSIDER CHANGING
THEIR NAME TO AMAZON, THE WHOLE
ENTIRE CITY.
>> Evrod: A LITTLE DESPERATE.
>> Jason: CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING
THE AMAZON EMPLOYEE WHO HAS TO
SIT IN THE ROOM AND WATCH THE
SIZZLE REELS?
>> Rhonda: I WOULDN'T MIND THAT
JOB.
>> Jason: SOME BIDS ARE LACED
WITH INCENTIVES, AND OTHER
CITIES ARE TYPE-LIPPED LIKE
PHILADELPHIA AND ATLANTA.
BUT CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, IS
OFFERING A $400 MILLION
INCENTIVE PACKAGE, A
SHOVEL-READY LOCATION AND AN
OFFER TO DEVELOP THE STATE'S
NEXT UNIVERSITY.
IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, IT'S
THROWING IN A WELCOME HOME
AMAZON BOOK.
>>> ANOTHER MIDWEST CITY VYING
FOR HQ-2, MILWAUKEE.
ITS PITCH IS HIGHLIGHTING THE
INFRASTRUCTURE, STEADY BUSINESS
AND POLITICAL CLIENT AND THE
HISTORY OF HELPING BUSINESSES
THROUGH TAX INCENTIVES.
THEN THERE'S STONE CREST,
GEORGIA, OFFERING TO CHANGE ITS
NAME TO AMAZON, GEORGIA.
NEW HAMPSHIRE IS OFFERING A
UNIQUE PITCH AFTER REPORTS
SURFACED OF BOSTON BEING A FRONT
RUNNER.
THE STATE DECIDED TO BASH
BEANTOWN POINTING TO HIGH SALES
TAXES AND HORRIBLE TRAFFIC.
>> Rhonda: WOW!
>> Jason: AND THEN BIRMINGHAM,
ALABAMA, STARTED PUTTING UP
GIANT AMAZON BOXES AROUND TOWN.
AND THEM THERE'S TUCSON,
ARIZONA, SENDING GIFTS.
THE ORGANIZATION BEHIND THE BIDS
SENT AMAZON A GIANT CACTUS
AMAZON RESPONDED ONTWITTER.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T ACCEPT
GIFT, EVEN REALLY COOL ONES,
MUSEUM.
>> Rhonda: WE D THE HEADSETS
ON THE COACHES.
STOPS.