Hey Jeff Bezos, Bring Amazon.com to Atlantic County

Open letter to Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO. From Dennis Levinson. Atlantic County Executive.

Dear Jeff: Amazon HQ2 may not have been embraced by New York City, but you’ll find that is far from the case just two hours south in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Atlantic County is ideally located within a short distance of the major metropolitan east coast hubs of Philadelphia, New York and Washington, DC, with easy access by air, car and rail.

The Atlantic City International Airport, designated the airport of the future, is equipped with one of the country’s longest runways and is currently underutilized. It is located next to the nation’s premier air transportation laboratories at the Federal Aviation Administration’s William J. Hughes Technical Center as well as the new National Aviation Research and Technology Park.

These assets comprise a developing aviation innovation hub with a focus on air cargo and maintenance and repair operations.

We are also home to one of six national test sites for unmanned aircraft systems that complement your Prime Air drone delivery service project.

Atlantic County is the center point of an emerging aviation industry in New Jersey.

We have developed strategic partnerships with major aviation companies and institutions including Boeing, Lockheed, Embry‐Riddle Aeronautical University, Joint Base McGuire‐Ft. Dix‐Lakehurst, the National Institute of Aviation, General Dynamics and Thunderbolt Software.

A new STEM initiative, in cooperation with Embry‐Riddle, will help improve the skills of our local workforce and make it more attractive to potential employers. Atlantic County also has access to more than 3 million workers within 50 miles to help support your labor needs.

We are a leader in the use of clean, renewable energy sources. The Jersey‐Atlantic Wind Farm, the first coastal wind farm in the U.S., is located here and operated by the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. And Orsted, one of the world’s largest offshore wind companies, recently opened its first New Jersey office in Atlantic City with plans to develop the state’s first offshore wind farm.

Additionally, we offer an outstanding quality of life. We are the entertainment capital of New Jersey with nine casinos featuring world class dining, shopping, live concerts and performances.

Combined with our 14 miles of pristine beaches, we attract millions of visitors and second homeowners each year.

Our affordable housing and cost of living, low labor costs and available areas for redevelopment help make us an ideal candidate for your project.

Atlantic County is fiscally strong and solvent. Our Aa2 and AA credit ratings rank among the top 18% of counties in the country. And our net debt is less than 0.457% of our total debt capacity. We have received 19 perfect audits in as many years.

I encourage you to take another look at Atlantic County. I believe you’ll like what you see and will agree that we have much to offer you and Amazon HQ2.

Dennis Levinson. Atlantic County Executive.

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