People walk past the signature glass spheres under construction at the Amazon corporate headquarters on June 16, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond is one of two dozen U.S. cities qualified to be the site of Amazon’s second North American headquarters, according to analysis done by CBS News. The Seattle-based company announced this week it planned to open a second headquarters in North America that will employ as many as 50,000 workers.
The company said it was searching for a city to host the new “HQ2” facility, which will cost at least $5 billion to construct and operate.
“We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. “Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We’re excited to find a second home.”
Amazon said it would prefer to open the headquarters in a suburban or urban area with more than 1 million people. It’s looking for a community that “thinks big” and a location that will attract technical talent.
A CBS News analysis of the situation put Richmond on a list of 26 cities that Amazon could choose for its second headquarters.
“Amazon is a prototypical innovation economy company. It relies on a lot of workers with a lot of technical training,” Joseph Parilla, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy program at the Brookings Institute, told CBS News. “We’re looking at a combination of factors that might make an attractive labor market, like the quantity and quality of the college-educated force.”
Based on those factors, here are the qualified cities:
List originally published on CBSNews.com. Click the list to read entire CBS News article
Richmond’s potential pitch to Amazon does have issues, like the lack of an airport that offers non-stop international flights and robust mass transit system. Despite those potential negatives, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney seemed poised to throw Richmond’s hat in the ring.
“Officials are constantly receiving, soliciting and pursuing economic development opportunities for the city,” Jim Nolan, a spokesman for Mayor Stoney, said. “That said, it is city policy not to discuss any plans for any prospective project, real or imagined.”
Cities and regional economic development organizations have been invited to submit proposals, and they will likely scramble to offer incentives and tax breaks for Amazon to consider their area.
The company estimates that its investments in Seattle from 2010 to 2016 added $38 billion to the city’s economy. These investments include buildings, parks and infrastructure, such as corporate offices and Prime Now delivery sites. Its headquarters in Seattle boasts 33 buildings and 24 restaurants or cafes. It covers 8.1 million square feet.
The announcement of Amazon’s second headquarters is a part of a larger effort from Amazon to grow its footprint at home and abroad.
In January, the company announced plans to create over 100,000 new full-time jobs in the U.S. It’s been steadily announcing new fulfillment centers.
Amazon also recently closed its $13.7 billion deal to buy Whole Foods as it expands into the groceries market and brick-and-mortar stores. In addition, it will start selling its branded smart home devices at Amazon bookstores and retailers like Kohl’s soon.
Cities already want to host Amazon’s second headquarters
Cities are already eager to be the new home for Amazon’s second headquarters.
A source close to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told CNN Tech the mayor has spoken “several times” with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos about the second headquarters. Amazon declined to comment.
A spokesperson for the city of Chicago wouldn’t comment on whether it will submit a proposal, but gave the following statement: “Chicago’s unmatched workforce, world-class universities and unparalleled access to destinations throughout the world make it the perfect headquarters location for companies large and small. That’s also why Chicago has led the nation in corporate relocations for the last four years.”
Dallas expressed enthusiasm at the prospect, too.
“We will aggressively demonstrate that Dallas and our surrounding area would be the perfect spot for [its] expansive business needs,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said in a statement to CNN Tech. “Amazon already has an extensive amount of business here.”
Toronto’s Mayor John Tory also said the city is a “prime candidate” for Amazon’s second headquarters due to its “homegrown tech talent.” The city’s staff is working with investment attraction agency Toronto Global to put together “an attractive bid” for the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said the state is “excited” about the possibility of hosting Amazon’s second headquarters.
Pittsburgh said it plans to “compete” for the new site and has already scheduled strategy sessions and started planning.
“This is a transformational opportunity unlike any that we’ve ever seen,” Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto said in a statement.
Pittsburgh could be a strong candidate for Amazon, considering it is already a major testing ground for self-driving car technology and robotics.
Baltimore, Boston, Columbus, Detroit, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Vancouver and Washington D.C. also expressed interest.
CBS News and CNN Wire contributed to this report.
