Amazon picks N.Y., Va. for HQ2: report
Chicago’s dream of landing Amazon’s HQ2 — and the 50,000 jobs that would’ve come with it — is all but dead, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported Monday night that the internet retail giant would officially announce this week its decision to split its second headquarters between Crystal City, Virginia, and the Long Island City neighborhood in Queens, New York.
Citing people familiar with the decision-making process, the Journal reported that Amazon’s announcement could come on Tuesday.
The two cities will likely split the 50,000 high-paying jobs and $5 billion investment from Amazon.
Last week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel sounded resigned to the fact that Chicago — which was a finalist to land HQ2 — would be passed over.
“One of the things I do know about in life: You don’t succeed unless you try,” the mayor said.
“Sometimes your biggest lessons in life where you learn the most is if you don’t succeed. What you can do better and what [were] those reasons?”
Emanuel and Gov. Bruce Rauner had come together to create a $2.25 billion incentive package to attract Amazon.
A return visit to Chicago by Amazon officials in August to reportedly scout locations in the South Loop fueled speculation that the city could win HQ2. Chicago officials, and leaders from other cities, had sought to woo the retailer by hosting visits to potential sites — all of which has been kept confidential by the cities and their suitor.