Kayla Ihrig
Amazon announced Thursday that it’s looking for a location for its next headquarters, HQ2: a “full equal” to its Seattle headquarters.
Videos by Rare
The biggest question: where?
Amazon is asking cities to throw their hats into the ring, and is encouraging them to “think big and be creative.” Proposals are due next month, with selection and announcement slated for 2018.
It’s unknown how many cities are raising their hands, but Chicago is among the crowd. (So is Houston.)
RELATED: Major companies are moving their HQs back into Chicago, and there’s one big reason why
“Chicago’s unmatched workforce, world-class universities and unparalleled access to destinations throughout the world make it the perfect headquarters location for companies large and small,” Grant Klinzman, who works on the city’s business development, said in a statement according to NBC Chicago. “That’s also why Chicago has led the nation in corporate relocations for the last four years.”
The initial investment in their new city will be more than $5 billion in construction and 50,000 jobs. After that, the sky’s the limit. Amazon estimates that it brought an additional $38 billion to Seattle’s economy from 2010 to 2016.
