Amazon’s 14 contenders stack up to be second headquarters
NOW THAT Amazon.com has whittled down the list of cities it’s considering for its second North American headquarters, it’s time for a new round of everyone’s favourite parlour game: Arguing about which city would suit the technology giant best.
After the e- commerce company said it was seeking a second HQ to relieve pressure on its Seattle home base, it received proposals from 238 locations, full of rich economic incentives and goofy marketing gimmicks.
Now it has narrowed the field to 20 places, including three bids from the Washington D.C., area, where Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has put down roots, as well as proposals from smaller Midwestern cities ( Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis) and major population centres ( New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and Dallas).
Economic incentives aside – and there are plenty – here are just some pros and cons of the places on Amazon’s very long shortlist.
Atlanta
Pros: A major airline hub and home to big corporations, such as UPS, Coca- Cola and Delta.
A recent focus on redevelopment projects like the BeltLine – a series of parks built on an old railroad spur that runs through the city – may add to the city’s appeal.
It’s still not that cool. Amazon prides itself on its urban Seattle locations being walkable and bikable, and a more suburban city like Atlanta may contradict that spirit. Terrible traffic, too.
Austin
Pros: Close to the distribution and business hub of Dallas but much hipper.
No Texas income tax, an established tech industry and home to Whole Foods, which Amazon recently acquired.
Cons: Small airport. Despite surging population, still doesn’t feel like a major US city.
Boston
Pros: Proximity to Harvard, MIT and a wealth of other colleges and universities, an airport with non- stop flights to Seattle and Washington, D.C., and a track record for providing rich relocation benefits, like the incentives the city offered GE in 2015.
Cons: Has some of the same drawbacks as New York-high cost of living, tight residential and commercial real estate marketswithout the same cultural amenities and depth of talent.
Chicago
Pros: A heavy concentration of operations, marketing, finance and sales employees to poach from other industries. Good public transit, walkable neighbourhoods and a variety of housing choices, from downtown apartments to traditional suburbs.
Cons: Shootings in the city have become national news, and the state is still emerging from dire financial straits. Digging its government out of debt could require tax hikes and cuts to public services.
Columbus
Pros: A major research university in Ohio State, a fast- growing economy and cheap housing.
Cons: The housing is cheap for a reason. — WP-Bloomberg