Amazon to create 2,000 jobs in new Manhattan office

[TORONTO] Amazon.com Inc is set to open a large new office in New York City and create 2,000 high-paying jobs.

The e-commerce giant, which already has several locations across the city, will expand its presence with a 359,000 square-foot office in Manhattan that will employ people in finance, sales, marketing and information technology earning an average of US$100,000 annually. Amazon will invest US$55 million in the building project on Manhattan's west side, according to a statement from the office of governor Andrew M Cuomo.

The space, at Brookfield Property Partner's Five Manhattan West, will be the primary New York location for Amazon's advertising, the real estate firm said.

The announcement comes as cities across North America are preparing bids to host Amazon's second headquarters, a US$5 billion endeavor that promises to create 50,000 jobs and be a huge boon to the local economy.

New York has already officially thrown its hat into the ring and is seeking proposals from land owners, developers, business groups and others to find the best locations in the city for a unified pitch; it could propose multiple locations in different boroughs.

Amazon already has a fashion photography studio in Brooklyn, a fulfillment centre in Staten Island and an administrative office in Manhattan. The company was offered as much as US$20 million in performance-based taxed credits through Empire State Development's Excelsior Jobs Program to encourage further expansion.

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