Amazon HQ2 Contenders Include Toronto, 19 Other Cities

Amazon has short-listed 20 locations, including Toronto, for the construction of a second headquarters called “HQ2” that it says will generate 50,000 new, high-paying jobs.

According to a news release from BusinessWire, the company has whittled down the list of 238 cities to 20, it announced Thursday morning. The list of finalists skews toward larger cities and metropolitan areas along the Eastern corridor, stretching as far north as Toronto and as far south as Miami.

Below, the finalists:

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Austin, TX
  • Boston, MA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Columbus, OH
  • Dallas, TX
  • Denver, CO
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Miami, FL
  • Montgomery County, MD
  • Nashville, TN
  • Newark, NJ
  • New York City, NY
  • Northern Virginia, VA
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • Raleigh, NC
  • Toronto, ON
  • Washington, D.C.

“In the coming months, Amazon will work with each of the candidate locations to dive deeper into their proposals, request additional information, and evaluate the feasibility of a future partnership that can accommodate the company’s hiring plans as well as benefit its employees and the local community. Amazon expects to make a decision in 2018,” the company said.

Many Canadian cities from coast to coast vied for their chances as major urban centres like Montreal and Halifax went head-to-head with smaller x-factor competitors such as Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. In the end, however, Toronto was the only Canadian city to make the cut, where it joins massive American metropolises such as Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Atlanta.

“Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough,” Amazon said in a tweet announcing the short list. “All the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity.”

Toronto mayor John Tory celebrated the news of his city’s success. “Last year, I said I would put the Toronto Region up against any city in North America as the place for ambitious, forward-looking companies looking for a home,” he said in a statement touting Toronto’s talent, quality of life and vibrancy. “I’m glad that Amazon agrees that Toronto is worth considering.”

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