7 reasons why Newark has a shot at winning Amazon

Newark has made it to the finals in the contest to be picked as the home of the second headquarters of e-commerce giant Amazon. And even though it's up against metropolitan powerhouses like Miami, New York and Boston, there are some good reasons why the odds could be in Newark's favor.

1. Planes, trains, ships and automobiles

Newark checks all the transportation and infrastructure boxes Amazon is looking for in a headquarters city, unlike some of the other 19 contenders on the list. It has a major international airport, it has a port that handles most of the container ships arriving on the East Coast, and it is close to major highways. It has subways and other trains that link it to Manhattan.

2. New York without New York prices

Newark would give Amazon executives a perfect perch from which to mastermind new ways to deliver to, and sell to, the residents of the Big Apple, the ultimate urban test case for any retailer, but without Big Apple rents or traffic jams.

3. We're the warehouse state

As Amazon knows all too well, New Jersey is a dream location for e-commerce warehouses and fulfillment centers. It has opened a number of huge warehouses here over the past decade and is looking to open more. While the new headquarters doesn't need to be near Amazon warehouses, the proximity gives executives an easy way to test new logistics innovations.

4. Access to talented workers

Newark has colleges that offer Amazon a feeder system of some 60,000 young people looking for jobs, as well as access to tech workers from New York and research hubs in Princeton and New Brunswick.

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5. Return on investment

Amazon is smart about money, and investing in land and buildings in Newark is more likely to yield a return than in cities where the land prices and rents are much higher. Newark also has more space available for redevelopment than many of the other contenders.

6. Don't bet against Booker

Newark booster Sen. Cory Booker can be mighty persuasive. Starting with his years as mayor and continuing while in the Senate, he has convinced lots of businesses to take a chance on Newark. His current star power could help seal the deal.

7. Seven billion reasons

Finally, there is the little matter of the tax incentives. New Jersey has promised Amazon $7 billion in state and local tax breaks if they come to Newark. Gov. Chris Christie made that offer, and his successor, Phil Murphy, has spoken out against corporate tax breaks. But Murphy on Thursday seemed to be backing the Amazon bid, saying in a statement that "we are going to continue to press out case for Amazon to come to Newark."