A story from Bloomberg has revealed Apple was lured to Mesa, Arizona by a series of concessions made by the city.
The city, in Maricopa County “offered tax breaks, built power lines, fast-tracked building permits and got the state to declare a vacant 1.3 million-square-foot facility that Apple was exploring a foreign trade zone”.
While that doesn’t all sound legitimate, it’s certainly testament not only to the prestige that Apple’s business can bring to a location, but also the desperate nature of Mesa’s economy, which was severely rocked by the 2007 housing crash.
It’s important to note that Mesa wasn’t actually driven by the prospect of Apple’s business because early preparations were made for concessions before the city knew that Apple was company in question. Apple did make later requests for additional concessions and construction permits, as well as a $10 million building grant, and a deal with the city’s power company for geothermal and solar installations and a substation to power the plant.
In return, Mesa will get 700 full times jobs, and 1,300 construction jobs. Worth it? Perhaps, but know that Apple’s decision to move to Mesa, Arizona was highly influenced by appealing circumstances.
Related: Despite Apple plant, Arizona a long way from manufacturing resurgence
