WMATA Board Seeks To Include Metro Property In Amazon HQ2 Bids
With D.C.-area jurisdictions preparing bids for Amazon's $5B HQ2, the region's transit system is looking to play a part.
WMATA's board of directors will vote Thursday on a resolution to give General Manager Paul Wiedefeld the authority to negotiate the inclusion of Metro property as part of local jurisdictions's proposals to lure Amazon.
At Metro stations throughout the region, WMATA has partnered with developers to build transit-oriented development projects on lots it owns. The system currently has 15 remaining joint development sites in the region, according to the resolution being voted on Thursday.
The resolution did not specify which sites Metro might include, but several throughout the area could potentially fit the bill. In Prince George's County, which is submitting its own bid for Amazon, WMATA owns large sites around the New Carrollton, College Park, Greenbelt, Branch Avenue and Largo Metros that it plans to develop or sell. In Montgomery County, it is in the planning stages of a five-building residential development with Fivesquares on a 412-space parking lot. The transit agency also owns multiple large surface parking lots in the Northern Virginia suburbs that could be ripe for development.
Amazon's deadline for its request for proposals is Oct. 19. The tech giant is looking for a site that could accommodate 8M SF of development and 50,000 employees. While D.C. and its neighboring jurisdictions are all submitting individual bids, some are pushing for regional cooperation to help Washington compete with other major cities.
