Local county makes pitch for new Amazon HQ

Milam County is making a bid to be the home of Amazon’s second corporate headquarters.

“Milam County is proposing the opportunity to create a boundless new HQ2 on all, or part, of the property currently for sale by Alcoa, marketed as Sandow Ranch,” County Judge Dave Barkemeyer said Tuesday.

“Our proposal, requests Amazon to consider the boundless opportunities of a 33,000-plus acre site, within 60 miles of 2.5 million people, two tier one research universities, and just two and a half hours from the three major population centers in the state,” Barkemeyer said.

The project is a partnership of Milam County, Milam County Industrial Development Corporation, Rockdale MDD, City of Rockdale, Cameron Industrial Foundation and Cameron Economic Development Corporation, along with private institutions and individuals, the county said in a press release Tuesday.

Dozens of major cities are submitting proposals.

Amazon announced last month the new location could involve as many as 50,000 jobs and a capital investment of as much as $5 billion.

The company wants a city with a large talent pool, mass transit, and access to a major airport.

In Texas, Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio have all submitted bids for the second headquarters.