Amazon.com’s second headquarters, dubbed HQ2, has lured 238 proposals extending across 54 states, provinces, districts and territories in North America, the company said Monday. Only seven U.S. states refrained from bidding: Arkansas, Hawaii, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Vermont, according to a map Amazon published on its website.

Cities are battling for Amazon’s investment of US$5bn in construction and 50,000 high-paying jobs spread over the next two decades: New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered landmarks around the city lit up in “Amazon orange” before the bids were due last week. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau penned a personal letter to Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos advocating for HQ2. Newark, New Jersey, has offered US$7bn in potential tax credits.

Amazon’s preferences for HQ2 include a metropolitan location with a population of more than 1 million, mass transit, proximity to an international flight hub and the potential to retain and attract technical talent. The new home will be a full equal to the Seattle headquarters, said the tech giant. In addition to direct hiring and investment from Amazon, HQ2 is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs and tens of billions of dollars in investment in the surrounding community.

To put that into perspective, Amazon on its website estimated that its investments in Seattle from 2010 to 2016 resulted in an additional US$38bn to the city’s economy, where each dollar the company invested created an extra US$1.40 for the city’s economy.

Bloomberg reported last week that Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Detroit are among the cities that have a chance at Amazon’s second headquarters. Amazon has said it will make a decision regarding its second home next year.


Copyright Bloomberg 2017


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