Cities are already eager to be the new home for Amazon’s second headquarters.
Amazon on Thursday announced plans to open a second headquarters in North America. Dubbed “HQ2,” the facility will cost at least $5 billion to construct and operate and will employ as many as 50,000 workers.
Cities and regional economic development organizations have been invited to submit proposals, and several cities have already expressed interest in the possibility of Amazon’s new headquarters coming to their turf.
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.