The newly-incorporated city of Stonecrest will ask the DeKalb County legislative delegation in 2018 to create the city of Amazon, Ga. within a portion of its own city limits if the online retail giant picks the city to build its second world headquarters.

On Monday, the Stonecrest City Council adopted a resolution supporting the concept to de-annex a portion of its city limits as an incentive for the Seattle-based company to relocate in metro Atlanta.
It will offer a bid package to the company by the Oct. 19 deadline that includes up to 345 acres of developable greenspace off Coffee Road and Lithonia Industrial Boulevard as a site for its headquarters and a new city.

The proposal is the most unique incentive ever offered a company to relocate its headquarters by a local government, said Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary. And it would give the Seattle-based company immense power to market its second headquarters for 50,000 employees.

“There are several major US cities that want Amazon, but none have the branding opportunity we are now offering this visionary company,” said Lary. “How could you not want your 21st Century headquarters to be located in a city named Amazon?”

Amazon officials have said they are shopping throughout the United States for a site of about 175 acres that is near an international airport, is accessible to public transit, a business friendly environment and a high quality of living. The Amazon jobs are expected to pay $100,000.

“We have all of those qualities as well with MARTA rail planned to our community, interstate improvements under way and a highly-educated work force eager to see the company locate here,” Lary said.

Stonecrest’s economic development officials said any additional acreage could be used for mixed use development and the city of Amazon might include surrounding neighborhoods. If Amazon
became its own city, it would likely enter an intergovernmental agreement with Stonecrest to provide city services.

To make the new city of Amazon happen, city officials would ask the DeKalb legislative delegation to propose local legislation to de-annex a portion of the city of Stonecrest during the 2018 or 2019 session of the General Assembly. Lary said the city would then ask the Legislature for guidance on any further legislative action needed for the creation of Amazon, Ga.

Stonecrest’s 53,000 residents voted to incorporate on Nov. 8, 2016 and it officially became a city on Jan. 1, 2017.

Bids for a site for Amazon’s HQ2 are due to the Seattle-based retailer by Oct. 19. The company has pledged to create 50,000 jobs over 10 to 15 years and more than $5 billion in construction.