Elaine Thompson/AP
In this April 27, 2017 file photo, construction continues on three large, glass-covered domes as part of an expansion of the Amazon.com campus in downtown Seattle. Amazon said Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, that it will spend more than $5 billion to build another headquarters in North America to house as many as 50,000 employees. It plans to stay in its sprawling Seattle headquarters and the new space will be “a full equal” of its current home, said founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.
Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 | 1:19 p.m.
E-commerce giant Amazon announced plans on Thursday to open a second headquarters (HQ2) in North America, and Las Vegas is among the interested cities.
Amazon opened the Amazon HQ2 Request for Proposal (“RFP”) Thursday. Local and state government leaders hoping to attract the headquarters can submit their interest via an online form.
Steve Hill, director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, confirmed that an RFP would be submitted on behalf of the Las Vegas area.
“We have a very solid relationship with Amazon and will work with Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance and all stakeholders in the Las Vegas area on a response to the RFP,” Hill said
North Las Vegas, which already has Amazon facilities, will also seek HQ@2.
"Amazon has found great success in North Las Vegas with three existing facilities and a rapidly expanding footprint," North Las Vegas spokeswoman Delen Goldberg said. "The company has experienced first-hand how easy and profitable it is to do business in our city, and we look forward to a continued partnership with Amazon as the company grows its stellar track record of success in North Las Vegas."
Amazon officials said they would to invest more than $5 billion in construction and operations for the headquarters, generating up to 50,000 high-paying jobs. Amazon employs more than 380,000 people worldwide.
“We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, in a statement. “Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in upfront and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We’re excited to find a second home.”
Amazon officials listed their preferences for HQ2’s location:
• Metropolitan areas with more than one million people.
• A stable and business-friendly environment.
• Urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent.
• Communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options.
Additionally, Amazon would like HQ2 to be 30 miles from the population center of the metropolitan area; within a 45-minute drive to an international airport; 1-2 miles away from a major highways and arterial roads; and access to mass transit at the site.
Also driving Amazon’s decision: States that offer incentives such as tax credits or exemptions. Nevada has given Amazon millions of dollars in tax abatements in the past to lure facilities to the state.
Amazon estimates its investments in Seattle generated an additional $38 billion to the city’s economy 2010-2016. Every dollar invested by the company in Seattle generated an additional 1.4 dollars for the city’s economy overall, Amazon estimated.
Large projects such as an Amazon headquarters are what the city is aiming to attract, said Jonas Peterson, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance president and CEO,
"Business headquarters is one of our target industries and we feel we have a great product to offer,” Peterson said. “We're coordinating with Governor’s Office of Economic Development and all of our partners in the region to sell the Southern Nevada story."
The deadline for cities to indicate their interest is Oct. 19. Amazon’s decision is expected in 2018.
This version of the story is updated with comments from North Las Vegas spokeswoman Delen Goldberg.
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