Amazon Narrows Choices for Second Headquarters to 20
January 18 2018 - 10:08AM
Dow Jones News
By Laura Stevens
Amazon.com Inc. on Thursday announced a short list of 20
metropolitan areas for its planned second headquarters, kicking off
an intense final selection in the contest for the tech giant's
investment and jobs.
The finalists, chosen from among 238 places that applied in
October, included New York, Boston and Chicago, all big cities with
convenient access to airports, robust tech talent and sufficient
mass transportation.
Some surprise candidates included Columbus, Ohio, and
Indianapolis.
Amazon says it expects to create as many as 50,000 jobs paying
an average of $100,000 or more and generate more than $5 billion in
investments over nearly two decades.
The company also expects to build or acquire 500,000-plus square
feet of office space to open the first phase of its project as soon
as next year, according to its request for proposals. Amazon said
Thursday it expects to make a location decision in 2018.
The promise of those benefits has triggered a bidding war among
applicants, in what economic-development experts have said is one
of the most public and broadest contests to woo corporate
investments in decades. Cities and regions across North America
have offered big incentives and quirky proposals to try to attract
the online retail giant.
The race puts Amazon in the position of kingmaker for cities
across North America at a time when its business is booming. But
the choice to split headquarters also comes as technology giants
face more concerns about their increasing dominance in certain
industries.
President Donald Trump has called out Amazon on Twitter over
issues including state taxes and shipping with the U.S. Postal
Service.
Meanwhile, Amazon founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has
recently stepped up his political game, last week donating $33
million to scholarships for undocumented immigrant high-school
graduates.
Mr. Bezos also became one of the first tech chief executives to
join legal action opposing Mr. Trump's travel-ban order last
year.
Those moves have prompted some site selection experts to
speculate Mr. Bezos may choose a location where an influx of
workers could help promote political change.
Indeed, a flood of high-paid tech workers and their families
could bring significant changes to even major metro areas,
potentially pushing up wages and housing prices, which has been the
case in Amazon's home market of Seattle in recent years.
The Full List of Cities
-- Atlanta
-- Austin, Texas
-- Boston
-- Chicago
-- Columbus, Ohio
-- Dallas
-- Denver
-- Indianapolis
-- Los Angeles
-- Miami
-- Montgomery County, Md.
-- Nashville
-- Newark, N.J.
-- New York City
-- Northern Virginia
-- Philadelphia
-- Pittsburgh
-- Raleigh, N.C.
-- Toronto
-- Washington D.C.
Write to Laura Stevens at laura.stevens@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 18, 2018 09:53 ET (14:53 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024