While Amazon has yet to announce the future location of its second headquarters, speculation swirled yesterday that the company intends to select two sites by the end of the year, splitting the so-called HQ2 between Crystal City, Virginia, and the Long Island City section of Queens, New York.
Citing “people familiar with the decision-making process,” The New York Times reported that elected leaders in New York had wooed the company in recent weeks with offers of hundreds of millions of dollars in financial support. The Wall Street Journal reported that discussions with leaders and real estate developers were also advancing in Crystal City, with Dallas still in contention in case talks for other front-runners fell through.
Reasons for splitting the second headquarters appeared to center on the company’s interest in quickly securing enough well-trained employees in areas where housing and public transit were available and relatively affordable.
Amazon first announced its intention to create a second corporate headquarters in September 2017. With the promise of 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in investment, the HQ2 search garnered bids from over 200 cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The list was narrowed to 20 cities earlier this year, with Dallas, Boston, and the Washington D.C. area frequently mentioned as leading contenders.
Amazon founder, chairman, and CEO Jeff Bezos said in September that the company will formally announce the HQ2 selection by the end of 2018.
