Report: Second Amazon HQ could land in northern Virginia
Amazon has held advanced discussions about the possibility of opening its highly sought-after second headquarters in 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 head- quarters 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 who spoke on the condition of anonymity because Amazon has asked that the selection process remain confidential. The company may be having similar discussions with other finalists
Two people close to the process said if Crystal City were selected, Amazon could move an initial group of several hundred employees into 1851 S. Bell St. or 1770 Crystal Drive, two dated office buildings that have been targeted for redevelopment but could be readied for occupancy by the owner, JBG Smith, in nine months or less.
At a conference Thursday 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.”