UPDATED 15:00 EDT / SEPTEMBER 07 2017

INFRA

Amazon to build a second headquarters that will cost over $5B

It looks like Amazon.com Inc.’s expansion roadmap encompasses more than just new warehouses and cloud data centers.

Today, the retail giant announced plans to build a second headquarters in North America that is expected to employ up to 50,000 staffers when fully operational. Amazon intends to invest over $5 billion in the project and is currently inviting proposals from municipalities.

The company has outlined several preliminary requirements for the development. The city that will be home to the new campus must be in a metropolitan area with a population of more than 1 million, appeal to tech professionals and offer a “stable and business-friendly environment.” It’s the latter front where cities will likely seek to set themselves apart.

Local and state governments often provide generous tax incentives to lure large companies. Amazon would represent a particularly valuable catch. Together with the $5 billion-plus that will be invested in the project, the winning city stands to gain “tens of thousands of new construction jobs,” according to the retail giant.

That’s on top of the numerous high-paying positions that Amazon will create directly. Seattle, the home of the company’s currently sole headquarters, greatly benefits from its presence. Amazon claims that the city has an economic contribution of $1.40 for every $1 invested into the campus, which amounted to $38 billion from 2010 to 2016 alone.

The Seattle headquarters may offer some insight into the scope of the project. Amazon’s 40,000-plus local employees are spread out over 8.1 million square feet in 33 buildings, which constitutes 19 percent of all the city’s prime office space to a local report

In a statement, Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos said that the upcoming campus will serve as a “full equal to our Seattle headquarters.” Achieving that may entail major changes to the company’s organizational structure once the new location is operational. 

Having two headquarters could make it easier for Amazon to juggle its different expansion initiatives as it nears the 400,000-employee mark. On top of a continuously expanding geographic footprint, the retail giant also has a presence in numerous markets ranging from tablets and e-readers to cloud services. Amazon most recently advanced into brick-and-mortal retail with the $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market Inc.

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