Amazon has announced it is planning to open a second headquarters in North America that will be a “full equal” of its existing headquarters in Seattle.
The company said its investment in ‘HQ2’ would see up to 50,000 jobs created and over US$5 billion spent on construction, with “tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars” also set to flow into the surrounding community.
A number of major US cities have already publicly announced their interest in becoming the location of Amazon’s HQ2, including Chicago, Dallas, Washington DC and the Canadian city of Toronto.
“Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We’re excited to find a second home,” said Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.
Close proximity to a significant population centre, international airport and major highways and arterial roads are key requirements, along with access to mass transit.
HQ2 will initially require more than 500,000 square feet for Phase I of the project, with a total requirement of up to 8,000,000 square feet beyond 2027.
Amazon currently employs over 380,000 people worldwide.
