The Irvine Co. said it’s making a serious push to bring Amazon to Irvine for the e-commerce giant’s second headquarters, and has enlisted its former No. 2 executive to lead the project.
The Newport Beach-based real estate company, which has overseen the master-planned development of Orange County’s third-largest and fastest-growing city, said it plans to “collaborate with the City of Irvine to submit a responsive and compelling proposal to lure Amazon’s second headquarters” to the area.
“Our proposal will meet Amazon’s ambitious specifications and offer a promising and productive environment to nurture its long-term success,” said Donald Bren, the Irvine Co.’s chairman and owner, in a statement.
Seattle-based Amazon, which has a market value of about $475 billion and is the fifth-largest public company, made shockwaves in the business world earlier this week by saying it wanted to find a city to hold a second headquarters, a location that could potentially hold some 50,000 jobs.
The company currently has a modest office presence in the Irvine Spectrum, in addition to distribution facilities elsewhere in the city.
Dan Young, who stepped down as president of community development for Irvine Co. last year but remained as an advisor for Bren, will be the project executive for the Irvine Co. on the bid.
“Irvine has many strategic advantages that are important to Amazon, and our company has widely recognized experience and expertise creating sophisticated work spaces and campuses for innovative, growing companies,” Young said.
The proposal will be submitted by the October 19 deadline set by Amazon, and will “reflect collaboration with local government leaders, University of California, Irvine, and business communities,” Young said.