Delaware did not make the cut in Amazon’s quest for a second headquarters outside of its home base in Seattle.
Amazon reviewed 238 proposals from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to host HQ2, the company’s second headquarters in North America.
Delaware was considered the longest of shots for the complex. However, state officials said the process was useful in identifying sites and future opportunities.
Delaware Governor John Carney and Delaware’s congressional delegation, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Mayor of Wilmington Mike Purzycki, and New Castle County Executive Matthew Meyer issued the following:
“Of course we are disappointed that Amazon has not chosen Delaware as a finalist location for its second North American headquarters. But we used this opportunity to showcase all the options in Delaware, not just for Amazon, but for any business looking for a location to set down roots and grow. In that respect, Delaware’s effort – which brought together leaders in the public and private sectors to promote our great state – was a resounding success. Going forward, we’ll do everything we can to support Philadelphia’s application, to help bring Amazon to our region.”
The following metropolitan areas to move to the next phase of the process:
- – Atlanta, GA
- – Austin, TX
- – Boston, MA
- – Chicago, IL
- – Columbus, OH
- – Dallas, TX
- – Denver, CO
- – Indianapolis, IN
- – Los Angeles, CA
- – Miami, FL
- – Montgomery County, MD
- – Nashville, TN
- – Newark, NJ
- – New York City, NY
- – Northern Virginia, VA
- – Philadelphia, PA
- – Pittsburgh, PA
- – Raleigh, NC
- – Toronto, ON
- – Washington D.C.
The Washington, D.C. region seems to have the best chance of landing the complex, with the nation’s capital, northern Virginia and Montgomery County, MD still in the running.
“Thank you to all 238 communities that submitted proposals. Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough – all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity,” said Holly Sullivan, Amazon Public Policy. “Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.”
Amazon evaluated each of the proposals based on the criteria outlined in the RFP to create the list of 20 HQ2 candidates that will continue in the selection process.
In coming months, Amazon will work with each of the candidate locations to dive deeper into their proposals, request additional information, and evaluate the feasibility of a future partnership that can accommodate the company’s hiring plans as well as benefit its employees and the local community. Amazon expects to make a decision in 2018, a release stated.
Amazon HQ2 will be a complete headquarters for Amazon, not a satellite office. The company plans to invest over $5 billion and grow this second headquarters to accommodate as many as 50,000 jobs.
In addition to Amazon’s direct hiring and investment, construction and ongoing operation of Amazon HQ2 is expected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community, a release stated.
Amazon has more than 540,000 employees worldwide.
Amazon has invested more than $100 billion in the U.S., including corporate offices, development and research centers, fulfillment infrastructure, and compensation to its teams.
To learn more about Amazon’s current Seattle headquarters and the latest about HQ2 visit www.amazon.com/amazonHQ2.
Amazon has Delaware distribution centers in Middletown and New Castle. The company also has another center west of the state line in Perryville, MD.
