IRVINE, CA—As the number-one safest large city for 12 years running with an award-winning school district, and a deep pool of STEM talent and an unbeatable lifestyle, Irvine is Amazon's one-click solution, Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce's president and CEO Bryan Starr tells GlobeSt.com. The City of Irvine recently made public its proposal for Amazon's second headquarters, which claims the region offers something that no other city can offer: a fully financed and fully approved one-click solution for a new headquarters in the center of the best technology recruitment region in the world—Southern California.

With the proposal, Amazon will not be required to invest capital for land acquisition, buildings or entitlements to build its new campus. Irvine Co. is offering to provide Amazon all 8 million square feet of interconnected campuses within Irvine Spectrum, which features more than 900 tech companies and a lifestyle center with restaurants, shops and entertainment.

We spoke with Starr about why Irvine stands out above other markets for Amazon's second headquarters, what this step would do for the region and why a second headquarters on the West Coast makes sense for the online giant.

GlobeSt.com: What are the top compelling arguments for Amazon to locate its second headquarters in Irvine?

Starr: Irvine is Amazon's one-click solution. Irvine has been ranked the number-one safest large city for 12 years running, has an award-winning school district with an astounding 90% of high school graduates going onto college, a deep pool of STEM talent and an unbeatable lifestyle. Additionally, we're offering a fully financed, fully approved, fully entitled headquarters in the heart of the country's largest technology-recruitment region. Irvine's proposal was the only one of the 238 submissions offering to finance the entire project privately. Irvine is uniquely qualified to meet Amazon's requirements for space now and over the next 10 to 15 years. Within the first year, Amazon will need between 500,000 square feet and 1 million square feet and approximately 6,250 to 10,000 employees. Irvine may be one of the only places in the country that can do this on day one. We are prepared to move at the speed of Amazon.

GlobeSt.com: What would having the headquarters there do for the region?

Starr: Amazon would anchor our booming tech sector, which attracts a world-class, highly skilled and educated workforce and fuels a growing job market that provides economic stability for the entire region. And for Irvine, we're very particular about the types of jobs we're trying to attract. It's specifically those that will meet the professional demands of our graduates of UCI, which has the largest combined engineering and computer sciences program in California and the fifth-largest in the nation. Amazon will deliver those jobs. This commitment to reinvestment provides greater resources for education, infrastructure and quality of life, sustaining the city of Irvine for the long term.

GlobeSt.com: What are the arguments for having a second headquarters on the West Coast instead of a different part of the country?

Starr: Why shouldn't Amazon consider another office on the West Coast? California is the sixth largest economy in the world; Orange County alone is the 15th largest. As Amazon races to become the first trillion-dollar publicly traded company, California brings the scale, sophistication and experience to accommodate Amazon's growth goals. Having both headquarters on the same coast also aids in collaboration between offices as well as other day-to-day operations.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about this proposal?

Starr: The City of Irvine collaborated with Irvine Co., creator of the largest, most successful master-planned city in America, to provide Amazon with interconnected campuses within Downtown Irvine Spectrum delivered as the company needs it, starting day one. Irvine Spectrum is already home to 1,200 Amazon employees.

GlobeSt.com: What are the top compelling arguments for Amazon to locate its second headquarters in Irvine?

GlobeSt.com: What would having the headquarters there do for the region?

GlobeSt.com: What are the arguments for having a second headquarters on the West Coast instead of a different part of the country?

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about this proposal?

Instant Insights /

Why Should Amazon's HQ2 Be Located in Irvine?

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