Amazon HQ2: 238 Places Are Fighting For The New Headquarters
Amazon recently announced plans to launch a second headquarters and that ignited a firestorm of efforts by various regions and cities to lure in the Internet retailer. We've seen some take drastic measures, such as approving plans to rename a part of the city to 'Amazon' if selected as the site for Amazon's HQ2. Even Canada and Mexico have gotten in on the effort, with some Canadian cities promising everything from fair weather to polite culture.
Amazon announced plans for the second headquarters dubbed HQ2 earlier this year. Whatever city gets the honor of being Amazon's second main location will see a bunch of jobs follow, but the competition is fierce. Among other things, Amazon had stated that the city it eventually selects will need to meet certain requirements such as having adequate established public transportation.
Big and small place alike have submitted proposals to the company, which itself recently revealed that 238 cities and regions are fighting for HQ2. Amazon itself hasn't revealed any names, but many cities have gone public with their requests seemingly in a bid to encourage public support. We know that some major places include New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Austin, and Nashville.
All but seven US states have places bidding for HQ2, according to Amazon, as well as multiple locations in Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The majority of the bidding locations appear to be the US; which may be ahead of others wasn't revealed. Amazon won't be picking the location for HQ2 until some time in 2018, and we don't yet know which places it may be considering. We do know that it is looking at more than just geography, though.
Among the elements Amazon will consider are availability of recreational options and tech professionals, excellent transportation including public transportation, and how well the culture of the city itself will mesh with both Amazon and the people who do and will work for it. Amazon expects to spend billions on the project over the next two decades; choosing poorly could mean trouble keeping and retaining talent.
SOURCE: WSJ