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Gov. Cooper hopes NC can lure Amazon: 'We're the place for them'

By Mark Barber
By Mark Barber

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A huge investment by online retail giant Amazon is up for grabs and Channel 9 took the opportunity to ask Gov. Roy Cooper during his visit to Charlotte Wednesday if he’s doing anything to lure the mega retailer to North Carolina.

Cooper said his office is working with local officials to put together a strong incentive package to lure Amazon and all those potential jobs to North Carolina.

[READ MORE: Charlotte works on pitch for location of Amazon's second headquarters]

The governor told Channel 9 that he is aggressively trying to recruit the $5 billion project, but he has competition. Every other major city in the country is vying to land Amazon's second headquarters.

If Amazon chose to build in North Carolina, it would dramatically transform the state's economy.

[LINK: Amazon HQ Requirements]

Amazon officials said their new headquarters would create 50,000 jobs that would pay an average of $100,000.

Channel 9 asked the North Carolina Department of Commerce if Charlotte is able to offer any better deals than cities like Boston, Atlanta and Chicago. DOC officials said the state beefed up its incentive packages during the last legislative session so North Carolina can now compete with other heavyweights.

If North Carolina comes up with a deal sweet enough to land Amazon, Charlotte would likely be the city of choice. Raleigh is the only other spot that meets most of the company’s requirements for relocation. However, its weakness on mass transit would likely knock Raleigh out of the running.

As cities try to claw their way to the top of the bidding pack, Cooper said he hopes North Carolina comes out the winner.

"They will be looking for a state where people have education, where they have strong universities and community colleges,” Cooper told Channel 9. “We're the place for them."

The state has a little over a month to make its pitch to Amazon.

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