How Denver stacks up against the other finalists
Not many were shocked to learn Thursday that Denver was among 20 finalists for the next phase of Amazon’s hunt for a second headquarters, or HQ2.
After all, within days of Amazon’s request, Denver was picked by The New York Times as the best city for HQ2. But there were multiple lists that did not include Denver as a top choice. The city didn’t make the top five in a Wall Street Journal analysis.
While the 20 finalists skewed eastward, each of the contiguous U.S.’s four time zones is represented, as were blue and red states, and the North and South. Many finalists didn’t release their bids publicly — Colorado eventually did but redacted incentives and locations. Officials have said Colorado’s total incentive package could exceed $100 million, and that the proposal emphasized a unified metro-area approach with eight potential sites.
Here’s a sampling of what Denver is up against:
Indianapolis:
Indy seemed a little surprised to be named one of the 20 after earlier stories called it “a longshot” and not “ready for Amazon.” Even Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s official statement lacked conviction.
“Today’s shortlist from Amazon makes clear that no matter what the final decision may be, Indianapolis is already a big winner,” Hogsett said in a statement.
The city kept its bid a secret, but Hogsett told The Indianapolis Star in October that officials submitted a “six-page ‘microsite’ that provides a three-dimensional, interactive experience for those viewing the details.”
Columbus, Ohio:
If there was a big surprise on the list it was probably Columbus, arguably the third-bestknown city in its own state despite being the capital.
The city, home to roughly 860,000 and Ohio State University, submitted a detailed proposal that not only offered up direct cash support — 100 percent property tax abatement for 15 years, cash incentives for new jobs created — but also vowed to create programs to benefit Amazon and the city as the two grow together.
The proposal outlines the creation of a transit and mobility fund that would be built up by dedicating 25 percent of all the income tax withheld from Amazon employees at HQ2 for 15 years. That money would then be channeled into initiatives like creating new transit solutions and investing in an autonomous shuttle network, the proposal says.
Once the sun sets on the 15-year new jobs incentive package — good for up to $400 million over that time — Columbus will offer Amazon land acquisition and property improvement reimbursements. That could mean another $75 million.
Los Angeles: The lone West Coast city really stands out because it’s in the same time zone as Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle, which got eliminated.
According to the Los Angeles County Economic Develop Corp.’s proposal, the region offered nine potential locations. The agency, however, kept the process a secret and didn’t name the sites or mention a whiff about financial incentives.
The Los Angeles Times reported in October that Gov. Jerry Brown pledged a “multi-agency ‘strike team’ that can help expedite permits and approvals” plus up to $300 million in tax credits and subsidies.
Chicago: The city ranked second nationwide in an analysis by Anderson Economic Group of where Amazon should go (Denver was 16th). But the report only considered access to quality labor and services, ease of transportation and cost of doing business. It didn’t touch on the quality of life or financial incentives, which Amazon did say would be considered.
The city also shared the 10 sites it sent to Amazon but didn’t mention specific financial incentives.
Miami: Hailing from a no-state-income-tax state like Amazon’s native Washington, the Miami area made that cut after offering a proposal covering eight sites spread across three South Florida counties.
Among the benefits Miami-area officials are touting, according to a Sun Sentinel report, is a 3 millionperson labor pool that is more than 50 percent bilingual and about 375,000 college students hailing from area schools.
The Miami pitch didn’t disclose the financial incentives package Amazon could qualify for.
Philadelphia: The city, which shared its Amazon bid online, compared itself to Seattle by touting its 18 percent lower housing costs and larger mass-transit system that is “nearly four times the 116-mile rail system that Seattle will have completed by 2041.” It also offered three sites.
While financial incentives were not shared, the City Council passed a bill to benefit “New Megabusiness” that locate to Philadelphia by reducing the business net income tax rate to zero, according to Technical.ly Philly.
Atlanta: A report by The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Thursday said that Georgia’s incentives could top $1 billion and include tax breaks, grants and potential transportation improvements. An AJC poll on whether the public would support giving incentives worth $1 billion to Amazon found 65 percent in favor.
Raleigh, N.C. : The smallest contending metro area by population, according to U.S. Census figures, Raleigh was another surprise pick, especially because nearby Charlotte thought it had it in the bag.
Raleigh is part of the Research Triangle, which counts several schools including Duke University as top research centers. According to TV channel WRAL, the regional proposal was mostly confidential but included seven sites.
Toronto: The only city on the list outside of the U.S., Toronto is still in the Eastern time zone. It’s big brag when submitting its proposal to Amazon? Software programmers there are paid 34 to 38 percent less than those in Boston or New York, and the company would save $1.5 billion in annual salaries if it located in Toronto.