Windsor enters talks to join Detroit's bid for new Amazon headquarters

Windsor could be joining the list of North American cities vying for Amazon's newest headquarters as part of a binational submission with neighbouring Detroit, according to a story published Sunday on the Windsor Star's website.

Windsor mayor Drew Dilkins told the paper he would be meeting this week with billionaire investor Dan Gilbert, who is overseeing Detroit's bid, to discuss the two cities partnering on a proposal.

Dilkens told the Star a Detroit-Windsor bid would mean easy access to tech talent on both sides of the border. “It would be hard to ignore our bid … it could be something no one else can offer,” he said.

He said Windsor's waterfront could potentially house the campus and complement a facility on the American side of the Detroit River.

Amazon announced two weeks ago it was hunting for a site for a new headquarters in North America and called for cities to submit their proposals. Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal have each thrown their hats in the ring. Amazon said it planned to spend US$5 billion on the new campus that could employ as many as 50,000.

Amazon said any city hoping to score the investment would have to meet some key criteria, including a prime location, access to mass transit, and proximity to an international airport. The bidding deadline is Oct. 19.