A delegation from Amazon toured sites in metro Atlanta this week as part of the e-commerce giant’s search for a second headquarters location, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Amazon officials met with state and local government and business leaders on Thursday and Friday. The two-day visit offered coveted face-to-face access to Amazon officials and a chance to show off top development sites, as well as tout the region’s workforce, research universities, transportation assets and quality of life.
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“We were excited to have the opportunity to welcome Amazon to Georgia this week,” Pat Wilson, the state’s commissioner of economic development said in a statement. “As we’ve said before, we truly believe that Metro Atlanta is the best location for HQ2. We’ve invested and prioritized in mobility, workforce development and education which is evident in our thriving pro-business climate. Being able to showcase our exceptional assets first-hand will ensure that Georgia remains on their minds.”
- AMAZON COVERAGE: Read more about officials' attempts to lure Amazon to Georgia at myAJC.com/amazon/
Amazon scouted downtown's Gulch and multiple sites in Midtown as part of the visit, two of the people said.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesman said the company “is working with each HQ2 candidate city to dive deeper on their proposals and share additional information about the company’s plans.”
“We’re excited to visit each location and talk about how HQ2 could benefit our employees and the local community,” he said.
The hunt for Amazon is arguably the most public headquarters hunt in modern history, with Amazon fetching bids from 238 communities in North America before narrowing the contenders in January to a shortlist of 20, including Atlanta.
Amazon is expected to announce the home for what it calls HQ2 later this year, though people in economic development circles expect Amazon to shorten its list of contenders in the coming months before making a final decision.
More on this story later today at the subscriber website myAJC.com.
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