THE LOOP — Amazon's move to expand its office in The Loop — paving the way for its 200-employee work force to double — is proof that the city is thriving, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Monday after touring the internet giant's office.
"Amazon is a global company that recognizes Chicago has the talent and transportation that can help it continue to thrive for years to come," said Emanuel, who was joined by Sen. Dick Durbin on the tour of the offices at 227 W. Monroe St.
Amazon marked the occasion with a $10,000 donation to Code Platoon, which trains veterans to code as a way to help them transition back to civilian life.
The event also served as an advertisement for Prime Day, set for Tuesday, when Amazon "will offer an epic day of deals on hundreds of thousands of products worldwide," according to a statement from the mayor's office.
Amazon plans to have 8,000 full-time jobs in Illinois by 2018, officials said.
The expansion of Amazon's office allowed Emanuel to again to tout Chicago's status as the No. 1 city in the country for corporate relocations for the fourth year in a row, as determined by Site Selection Magazine.
