3 Reasons Chicago May Land Amazon's New Headquarters - and Reasons It Might Not
Amazon has announced its plans to build a second headquarters outside of Seattle, and the race is on. Cities like Atlanta, Boston, New York, and Dallas/Fort Worth — just to name a few — are clamoring to become the home of Amazon’s HQ2 campus, but Chicago hopes to win the coveted e-commerce headquarters. There are plenty of reasons that Chicago could be the right choice for Amazon, but there are some possible stumbling blocks. Crain’s Chicago Business breaks down the top reasons the city could or could not land this coveted headquarters deal.
Chicago’s Strengths
Chicago’s central location makes it an attractive location for a headquarters. The city also has two major airports. Crain’s points out that this is a big part of why Boeing settled on Chicago for its headquarters location in 2001.
The available talent pool is one of Amazon’s biggest stipulations for its new headquarters location. Chicago does not have the edge on other cities when it comes to millennial workers, but it does have a lot of mid-level and senior-level tech talent that could draw Amazon’s attention, according to the report.
Amazon’s existing footprint in Chicago could be another big draw for the headquarters. Amazon recently announced plans to double the size of its downtown Chicago office, and the company has opened several new facilities in the suburbs.
Chicago’s Weaknesses
Chicago has a lot of checks in the pros column, but there are a few downsides that could make Amazon look elsewhere for its new campus. The city’s crime levels and the state’s overall fiscal woes are no secret. While these downsides are not inconsiderable, every city on Amazon’s shortlist will have pros and cons. For the time being, Chicago is still in the running.