Deadline looms for cities to make Amazon HQ2 pitches

Thursday is the deadline for cities to deliver their pitch for Amazon’s HQ2.

RELATED: Reading between the lines of Amazon’s HQ2

On Wednesday, Tacoma presented their proposal, packed up in a cardboard box labeled “confidential.”

Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammier pointed out that Tacoma has great site locations, a ready-made data center, and class-A office space.

Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland told KIRO 7 that the city is close enough to Seattle for easy collaboration, but far enough apart so that it has its own personality.

Other cities in Western Washington have made their pitches as well. Snohomish and King counties offered up their collective regions along with the Tulalip Tribes.

Meanwhile, city leaders across the country gave their pitches to the retail giant as the deadline neared. That includes the mayor of Toronto, which topped an analysis by GeekWire for the cities Amazon is likely to select.

“The Toronto Region is also home to the most diverse workforce in the world … we welcome more than 100,000 immigrants each year,” Toronto Mayor John Tory told GeekWire. “Our federal government recently introduced the Fast-Track Visa For Technology Talent and Canada’s Global Skills Strategy makes it easier for Canadian businesses to attract the talent they need to succeed in the global marketplace.”

Amazon says its new headquarters needs quick access to an international airport and mass transit, excellent site options, and the ability to attract a global workforce. But, per their agreement with the company, city leaders didn’t divulge where they could build if chosen.

Amazon says all cities are being considered. However, Amazon’s CEO of Worldwide Consumer business told a crowd at the Geekwire Summit that, “Not everybody wants to live in the Northwest.” That led to the company issuing a clarification.

“We will give serious consideration to every HQ2 proposal we receive from across North America, including from communities across the Pacific Northwest,” Amazon told KING 5.

The company says it will bring as many as 50,000 jobs and $5 billion to whatever city it chooses. The company will make the decision sometime next year.

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