City News

Today newspapers and media from around the nation are reporting on Mayor Jason Lary's unique bid to lure Amazon's second headquarters to Stonecrest. The mayor and council voted 4-2, yesterday to de-annex 345 acres of land and ask the Georgia General Assembly to use it to form Amazon, Georgia. "There are several major U.S. cities that want Amazon, but none has the branding opportunity we are now offering this visionary company," the mayor said.

Amazon is seeking a 100-acre site that has access to an international airport, public transit and a high quality of living. The proposed land, located off South Stone Mountain-Lithonia Road, allows enough space for Amazon to expand into its proposed 8 million-square-foot campus over the next decade. The e-commerce retail and cloud computing giant will bring 50,000 jobs to the area with salaries averaging $100,000 annually. A fact sheet released by Amazon also said the company will invest $5 billion in capital expenditures over the next 15 to 17 years.

The mayor's idea has taken off, putting the once-unheard-of city of Stonecrest in the national spotlight. The Stonecrest quest for Amazon story was picked up by the Associated Press and is running in every media outlet from Fortune.com and Bloomberg to CNBC. Amazon will decide on its second location next year. The deadline for submissions is October 19, 2017.