Philly Finalizes Amazon HQ2 Bid

Philadelphia is putting the finishing touches on its presentation to online shopping giant Amazon regarding why the City of Brotherly Love would be a perfect fit for Amazon’s huge new headquarters project. The online superstore is looking to build its second headquarters to the tune of $5 billion dollars, and Philly wants in on that action. Granted, so do many other metro areas around the country. But Philadelphia, bolstered by a high placement in Moody’s Analytics’ ranking of potential HQ2 cities, is really rolling out the red carpet and showing Amazon and the whole country why this is such a great place to live and do business.

Amazon is taking proposals for its HQ2 project, and Philadelphia is finalizing her bid package.

City officials, including Mayor Jim Kenney, have taken to social media to hype the presentation, tagged with the hashtag #PhillyDelivers. Philadelphia’s acknowledged strengths going into the proposal are its proximity to both Washington, D.C. and New York (making Philly within 150 miles of a quarter of all Fortune 500 companies), recent economic gains, several prime locations and an ever-growing pool of skilled workers. The benefits of a Philly headquarters are being summed up in a series of three videos being sent to Amazon as part of the city’s official bid package. “Nearly 30 representatives from the Philadelphia region’s arts, culture, culinary, athletic, academic, development and business sectors participated in the videos that were produced in conjunction with the bid,” said the Philadelphia Tribune.

HQ2 could create as many as 50,000 jobs earning more than $100,000 annually. This would be a major coup for any city that pulls it off, obviously. The bid process has been one requiring great cooperation within the city. Philadelphia’s ethnic business associations, small businesses and community development corporations participated in weekly calls regarding the proposal, and the City Council had to okay the bid. Drexel University’s president weighed in on the side of Philadelphia, offering an authoritative voice to the competition-like atmosphere.

It remains top be seen where Amazon will settle down for its second headquarters, but if Philly doesn’t gain the bid, it won’t be for lack of trying.