Cities across the United States are clamoring to have Amazon pick them for its “HQ2,” and NYC is looking to one up them all with its latest gimmick: lighting up the city’s landmarks.
At 9 p.m. tonight, some of NYC’s most iconic buildings like the Empire State Building and One World Trade will light up in “Amazon Orange,” as the city’s Economic Development Corporation describes it, in support of the city’s official bid for Amazon’s HQ2.
Other buildings that will light up orange for 15 minutes tonight are 4 Times Square, the Bloomberg Tower (will remain lit from 7 p.m. to midnight), 1 Bryant Park, and Pier 17. One World Trade will remain lit from 9 p.m. through 2 a.m. Screens and billboards across Times Square, and the LinkNYC kiosks across all five boroughs will also be lit up for five minutes starting at 9pm to support the bid.
NYC has touted many advantages over its competitors including the fact that it has more Fortune 500 companies than any other U.S. city; that it has a large and diverse workforce, one which speaks over 200 languages; and that Amazon already has a sizable presence in the city.
“The case for bringing Amazon’s new headquarters to New York City is simple: we are the global capital of commerce, culture and innovation,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. “No city has stronger talent, greater diversity or a more dynamic economy. We welcome today’s show of support from institutions, businesses and civic leaders united behind the city’s bid.”
Earlier this week, both Chicago and Newark officially submitted bids for the HQ2. Moody’s Analytics has placed NYC in sixth place in a list of the top 10 venues vying for Amazon’s second headquarters. Austin is currently occupying the top spot on that list.
Other cities have been amping up their gimmicks as well. Birmingham, Alabama built a giant replica of an Amazon box, Tucson, Arizona tried to send Amazon a 21-foot-tall cactus as a gift, and Atlanta, Georgia offered to rename one of its suburbs after the retail behemoth if it opened its HQ2 there, according to the Daily News.
Many New Yorkers of course do not want Amazon to come to the city. Several community organizations are opposed to the city’s bid, and have argued that the city should not offer it any tax breaks, and instead encourage the company to treat its employees better.
Still, the city’s bid is moving on undeterred. The city is asking NYers to share photos of the light with the hashtag #HQ2NYC. And so the battle to secure Amazon’s HQ2 goes on.
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