Amazon may make Va. its second home
20 cities were in running for the so-called HQ2
Amazon has held advanced discussions about the possibility of opening its highly sought-after second headquarters in the Crystal City area of Arlington, Va., including how quickly it would move employees there, which buildings it would occupy and how an announcement about the move would be made to the public, according to people close to the process.
The discussions were more detailed than those the company has had regarding other locations in northern Virginia and some other cities nationally, adding to speculation that the site in Arlington County is a front-runner to land the online retail giant’s second North American headquarters and its 50,000 jobs.
The company is so close to making its choice that Crystal City’s top real estate developer, JBG Smith, has pulled some of its buildings off the leasing market and officials in the area have discussed how to make an announcement to the public this month, following the midterm elections, according to public and private-sector officials. The company may be having similar discussions with other finalists.
Two people close to the process said that if Crystal City was selected, Amazon was likely to move an initial group of several hundred employees into two dated office buildings that have been targeted for redevelopment but could be readied for occupancy by their owner in nine months or less. The bid also includes sites in Potomac Yard, in Alexandria.
“There’s a lot of activity,” one individual close to the process said. The person added that people “seem really positive, and they seem pretty confident . ... What we don’t know, maybe there are two or three other sites, and they’re doing the same thing. That’s what’s scary to people around here.”
At a conference in New York, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos told the crowd: “Ultimately the decision will be made with intuition after gathering and studying a lot of data — for a decision like that, as far as I know, the best way to make it is you collect as much data as you can, you immerse yourself in that data but then you make the decision with your heart.” (Bezos also owns The Washington Post)
Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg declined to discuss whether advanced talks were taking place but said, “We think we’ve put forward a very competitive option, and we’re certainly honored to be considered.”
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, asked on WTOP Radio on Wednesday about speculation that Crystal City was the front-runner said, “A lot of us are anxiously awaiting a decision, an announcement from Amazon . ... A lot of (Virginia government) resources are being expended right now, and I think for good reason.”
After launching a reality showlike sweepstakes for a second home in late 2017, Amazon has effectively shut down disclosures about the search in the past nine months. Twenty finalist cities — many of which have spent considerable time and money pursuing the company — have little information about where they stand, according to officials in four other finalist jurisdictions. Online betting sites and corporate relocation experts all declared northern Virginia the favorite to land the so-called HQ2.