After plenty of local speculation, the City of Columbus has formally submitted a proposal for the construction of Amazon’s second headquarters project, which could include up to eight million square feet of office space and 50,000 new high-paying jobs.
“The City of Columbus submitted a proposal in response to Amazon’s request for proposals for the company’s second North American headquarters project,” stated Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther in a statement release yesterday evening. “If awarded to Columbus, the project would further validate the strength of the Columbus market, afford new employment opportunities to thousands in our community, and create the opportunity to explore new, innovative educational partnerships.”
Since the project was first announced in September, over 150 cities across the US and Canada have submitted proposals, each offering millions — sometimes billions — in tax breaks and incentives to lure the $5 billion development project to their region.
“Regarding the incentives offer from the City, the City of Columbus is ensuring that Amazon locating its second headquarters in Columbus would provide substantial new funding to Columbus City Schools and new educational opportunities for our children,” added Ginther.
Columbus appears to fit most of the major guidelines for the project, other than our lack of mass transit and our lack of international flights. The project guidelines include:
- A metropolitan areas with over one million people
- A stable / business-friendly economy / environment
- A site at least 45 minutes from an international airport
- Proximity to major highways and arterial roads
- Access to mass transit routes
Some of the optional requirements include direct flights to Seattle, NYC, San Francisco, and DC and proximity to major universities.
The Amazon HQ2 selection announcement is slated for some time in 2018.
For more information, visit www.amazon.com.