For Immediate Release
October 19, 2017
Mississauga Leads with Premier Downtown Site for Amazon, Job-Creating Investments
Mississauga’s thriving, growing and transit-oriented downtown provides global-business giant, Amazon, the opportunity to invest, expand and remain ahead of the competition on nearly 180 acres of potential lands located within our mixed-use downtown core, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today.
Toronto Global – the new foreign-direct investment agency representing the Toronto Region – is leading the Toronto Region’s bid to attract Amazon’s new second headquarters known as HQ2. Mississauga is a funding partner of Toronto Global. Professionals from Mississauga’s Economic Development Office (EDO) have worked closely with Toronto Global to align Mississauga’s value proposition with the anticipated $5-billion US investment, projected to create up to 50,000 high-paying jobs.
As the Toronto Global submission highlights, Mississauga’s premier site is adjacent to the Square One Shopping Centre, a major regional retail and commercial destination hub, along with Mississauga City Hall; Central Library – Mississauga’s largest public library; the Living Arts Centre; Mississauga Art Gallery; Sheridan College and the College’s Pilon School of Business; Celebration Square; along with multiple restaurants and amenities. “The University of Toronto Mississauga – part of Canada’s largest university – is also linked to the downtown through east-west bus services,” Mayor Crombie added.
The submission further highlights how Mississauga’s City Centre (downtown) office district has 3 million square feet within the larger 36 million square foot Metro West marketplace, and can readily accommodate Amazon’s 500,000 square foot requirement and provides an opportunity to develop a campus similar to the Seattle layout. Mississauga’s downtown site has immediate proximity to the City Transit Hub that provides direct access to GO Transit rail and bus services, along with light rail and bus rapid transit stops, a regional bus station, and local bus services.
Mayor Crombie added our “downtown core will be home to four new light rail transit stops (LRT) as part of the 20 kilometer Hurontario LRT. Construction on the LRT is projected to be underway in 2018.”
“In March, our partners in the provincial government made important upgrades to the Square One Bus Terminal that will improve commuter travel for workers, students, visitors and residents who rely on the second busiest terminal in the GO Bus network.”
“Mississauga’s submission to secure new job-creating investments, like Amazon, reflects Council and staff’s ongoing planning, commitment and vision guided by our Downtown21 Plan – a blueprint that is already transforming our downtown into a leading destination where companies can confidently do business and where their employees will enjoy an unrivalled quality of life.”
Access to a diverse, large and educated workforce is an important part of Amazon’s consideration for choosing a city to be home to its HQ2, Mayor Crombie said, adding that “Over 66% of our Mississauga’s workforce population has a post-secondary education. We have a young and ambitious population, which exceeds both the national and provincial averages. Mississauga is one hour from 21 different universities and colleges and there are 38,000 international students within 60 minutes of our city.”
“Mississauga’s value proposition speaks for itself. We are open for business.”
Mayor Crombie concluded “Home to over 70 Fortune 500 regional headquarters, the City of Mississauga is no stranger to hosting globally-connected companies. Amazon already does business in Mississauga and the Toronto Region. Amazon operates a fulfillment centre facility in our City. Day-after-day Mississauga proves itself to be a world-class destination to do business in.”
“Without question, this is the leading destination for Amazon to invest. Mississauga and the Toronto Region have highly-skilled talent, national infrastructure, and access to international markets. We are committed to working with other cities across the region and our federal and provincial partners to welcome Amazon.”
-30-
Click here for the complete Toronto Global submission: https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/torontoglobal/TorontoRegionResponsetoAmazonHQ2RFP_PD.pdf