Chicago Submits Amazon HQ2 Bid

CHICAGO, IL — It's official: The Chicago area has made its bid for Amazon's HQ2, a second headquarters that the online giant wants to build outside of its Seattle base of operations, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office announced Monday. Chicago is one of a group of cities across the United States — Dallas, Atlanta and St. Louis are other candidates — looking to become the home for Amazon's second home. The company plans to spend around $5 billion building and running HQ2, which is expected to create 50,000 jobs in the area that's eventually chosen.

Chicago's bid, which was sent to the company electronically Monday, touted the area's access to "top-quality talent across all industries" and its "transportation advantages" thanks to O'Hare and Midway airports, the mayor's office said in a statement released Monday. City officials would not give any details of the bid, citing competitiveness. Monday was the first day of a four-day window for bids, which are due Thursday. The next steps of the bid process are not yet known, according to the city.

“Chicago offers unparalleled potential for future growth for businesses of all sizes and is the ideal place for Amazon to build its HQ2,” Emanuel said in a statement Monday. “This bid will demonstrate to Amazon that Chicago has the talent, transportation and technology to help the company as it reaches new heights and continues to thrive for generations to come.” (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

If Chicago can land its HQ2 bid, Amazon's presence has the potential to give the area a huge financial lift. A study commissioned by World Business Chicago estimates that, over a 17-year period, HQ2 could generate:

• $341 billion in total spending, thanks to ongoing operations. That includes $71 billion in salaries and wages, as well as supporting 37,500 added jobs to the region yearly.
• $7.4 billion in construction-related spending. That includes $2.4 billion in salaries and an average of 3,500 added jobs annually.
• $2.72 for the area's overall economy for each dollar the company invests in operations and construction.

“Amazon represents an extraordinary opportunity for Illinois to grow jobs, attract new residents, and build our tax base,” Gov. Bruce Rauner said in a statement. Rauner, along with Emanuel, traveled to Seattle last month to visit and tour Amazon's main headquarters. “Our bid makes a powerful business case, linking our advantages in innovation, commerce, and R&D with Amazon’s aspirations for growth and talent recruitment.”

More Patch Coverage on Chicago's Amazon HQ2 Bid:

• Chicago, Amazon Talk About 2nd Headquarters In City
  
• Best Spot For Amazon's HQ2 In Chicago? Mayor Rahm Emanuel Wants Suggestions

If Chicago does become the site of HQ2, it will be another part of Amazon's continued expansion in Illinois. The company has an office in downtown Chicago with 200 employees, and the size of that facility has recently doubled. An Amazon bricks-and-mortar store also opened in the Lake View neighborhood in 2016.

Across Northern Illinois, the company has fulfillment centers in Joliet, Romeoville and Aurora. In May, Amazon announced plans to hire 2,000 full-time employees in state over the next 14 months. That will bring its total Illinois workforce to around 7,000 people.

Amazon’s Seattle home covers 8.1 million square feet, which includes 33 buildings, and it employs 40,000 people. Potential HQ2 candidates must have more than a million people living there and include urban and suburban areas attractive to "strong technical talent," the company has said.

Amazon's downtown Seattle headquarters (Photo by Elaine Thompson | Associated Press)

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