On April 1, 2015, the mayor of Bowman, Georgia, announced that the city had struck a deal for a new Coca-Cola bottling plant, and as part of the incentives package, the Elbert County town would be known as Coca-Cola City.
Note the date.
Yesterday, October 2, the Stonecrest City Council passed a resolution as part of the nascent DeKalb city’s bid to win Amazon’s HQ2, and along with 354 acres of land in close proximity to both the airport and a planned MARTA line, they also propose renaming the enclave Amazon, Georgia.
In a press release, Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary said, “There are several major US cities that want Amazon, but none have the branding opportunity we are now offering this visionary company. How could you not want your 21st Century headquarters to be located in a city named Amazon?”
Stonecrest is serious about their bid, and the prospect of renaming roads after companies isn’t unusual, so why not propose renaming part of a city?
All HQ2 bids are due to Amazon by October 19, and while Atlanta is undoubtedly in the mix, any details we know regarding proposed incentives omit mention of renaming part of the city for the online behemoth or, for that matter, a soft drink.