Amazon got a whopping 238 proposals for its second headquarters
Just about every city in North America wants to be home to Amazon's second headquarters.
Amazon received a whopping 238 proposals from 54 different parts of the North American continent, including from Mexico, Canada, and just about every state in the U.S., all vying to be Amazon's next home base—and the $5 billion of investment that comes with it.
The applications came flooding in after Amazon announced a contest for its next HQ in early September, asking interested cities to submit proposals.
Based on the map, it appears that the only states in the U.S. to not submit a proposal are Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Arkansas.
The deadline for applications passed last Thursday after a variety of stunts and cries for attention from investment-needy cities. The city of Tucson, Arizona, sent a 21-foot-tall cactus to Amazon. A city in Georgia offered to rename itself "Amazon." The mayor of Kansas City dropped 1,000 Amazon product reviews to get some attention. Even New York City had the thirst, lighting up its landmarks in Amazon's signature orange color.
Will any of that work? Probably not. Amazon laid out a pretty serious list of needs for its new headquarters, including an international airport and public transportation. Then there's the incentives. Amazon is expecting tax breaks for its investment. Newark is offering $7 billion in tax incentives to Amazon.
Amazon's investment is going to be big. Amazon is claiming its HQ alone will have 50,000 high-paying jobs. The company also said it expects its total investment to be around $5 billion. Amazon claims its first headquarters in Seattle resulted in a $38 billion-addition to the city's economy.
But offering huge incentives doesn't mean Amazon's second headquarters totally risk free for cities. Giving major breaks to attract company investment can backfire if cities end up incurring costs that outpace tax revenue.
One bone to pick with Amazon though. That number should be 239. Amazon clearly did not count Mashable's own application for the company's second headquarters.
Topics Amazon
Jason Abbruzzese is a Business Reporter at Mashable. He covers the media and telecom industries with a particular focus on how the Internet is changing these markets and impacting consumers. Prior to working at Mashable, Jason served as Markets Reporter and Web Producer at the Financial Times. Jason holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University and an M.A. in International Affairs from Australian National University.
