Amazon announced its shortlist of 20 cities for its planned second headquarters on Thursday, and unsurprisingly, there were some strong reactions to the news.
Finalists included major cities such as New York, Boston, and Chicago, all of which have airports, well-established mass transportation systems, and plenty of tech talent to provide the up to 50,000 six-figure jobs that Amazon says will be created by the move, The Wall Street Journal reported.
More surprising finalists included Columbus, Ohio; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Indianapolis.
The 20 finalists on the shortlist were chosen from 238 that applied in October to host the online retail giant’s expansion. A decision will be made on the chosen location in 2018, with the first phase of the project opening next year, the WSJ reported.
Twitter reactions varied, but many in Boston seemed apathetic or opposed to Amazon’s presence there.
Some New Yorkers felt like an Amazon presence would lead to more congested subway travel, or that they already have enough big businesses headquartered there.
Columbus had a more favorable reaction to the possibility of an Amazon HQ in their city.
Indianapolis was mixed in its reaction.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ birthplace of Albuquerque, New Mexico, didn’t make the 20 cities cut, and Twitter users were a little sad about that.
The 20 cities left in the running are:
- Atlanta
- Austin, Texas
- Boston
- Chicago
- Columbus, Ohio
- Dallas
- Denver
- Indianapolis
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- Montgomery County, Maryland
- Nashville
- Newark, New Jersey
- New York City
- Northern Virginia
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Toronto
- Washington, D.C.
Wherever Amazon decides to make its second home is likely to create both controversy and an economic boost to the city that may be unparalleled in recent years.
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