Amazon (AMZN) is following Jeff Bezos to the Magic City.
The e-commerce giant is seeking approximately 50,000 square feet of office space in Miami, a company spokesperson confirmed to Commercial Observer. Bloomberg first reported the story.
The move comes less than a month after Bezos, Amazon’s founder, announced plans to move from Seattle to Miami. The billionaire — who stepped down as CEO in 2021, but remains executive chairman of Amazon — bought two mansions on Indian Creek Island, just north of Miami Beach, for a combined $147 million this year.
Amazon first opened a base in the Miami area by signing a 9,000-square-foot deal at WeWork’s Coral Gables area in 2022. Though the office remains open today, at the time, a person close to the company’s dealing said the company had no plans to sign a permanent lease.
The company currently has 400 corporate employees based in the Miami area. If Amazon follows through, it would mark its first direct office lease in Miami.
The move also bolsters Miami’s continuing quest to rebrand from a party town to a business hub that can compete with New York and San Francisco, especially as the pipeline of new-to-market tenants begins to dry up.
During the pandemic, as wealthy executives sought low taxes and a friendlier business environment, a slew of finance and tech companies opened offices in Miami, including venture capital firm Founders Fund and Ken Griffen’s hedge fund Citadel.
Julia Echikson can be reached at jechikson@commercialobserver.com.