Northern Virginia may have HQ2, but Prince George’s County is looking to lure some of Amazon.com Inc.-related business from HQ1.
Officials with the county’s Economic Development Corp. are planning a trip to Seattle to persuade companies working in the shadow of Amazon to open offices in Prince George’s, said David Iannucci, president and CEO of the EDC under new County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
Vendors and contractors near the “mothership” might like to know there “is a very affordable location for them a Metro ride away from Crystal City,” Iannucci said.
Convincing firms that Prince George’s County, which is situated on the east side of the District, isn’t that far from HQ2 could be a heavy lift. But, the county does offer some of the least expensive leases. A square foot of office rent runs below $25 in Prince George’s, according to data from CBRE. That’s about $5 cheaper than Arlington.
The trip is part of a proactive plan to “capture” more of the benefits of Amazon’s second headquarters, Alsobrooks said during a wide-ranging discussion with Washington Business Journal editors and reporters. The county believes it could be a suitable location for Amazon products and data centers.
