Amazon today released a list of 20 cities in the running for its second headquarters and said it will make its final decision later this year.
The Seattle-based tech company plans to invest $5 billion in the new location and create as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs in and around the city it picks.
No Louisiana city made the list, which includes: New York; Los Angeles; Nashville; Chicago; Atlanta; Miami; Washington D.C.; Dallas; Austin; Pittsburgh; Raleigh; Boston; Denver; Indianapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Montgomery County, Maryland; Newark, New Jersey; Northern Virginia, Virginia; Philadelphia; and Toronto.
Amazon announced its plan to build the second headquarters in September. The company has a specific set of criteria that includes a qualified workforce, an international airport, good schools, bearable traffic conditions, a population of at least a million people, recreational opportunities and more.
The announcement spurred excitement among cities—including from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the latter of which was the likeliest of the two to be a possible candidate. Still, the Metro Council passed a resolution expressing its support for Baton Rouge to pursue the opportunity, and there was talk about pitching the city as part of a regional bid with New Orleans. State officials have been tight-lip about any bids actually submitted.
More than 238 cities submitted proposals to Amazon, offering tax breaks and other incentives to attract the tech giant.
