Will Amazon Pick St. Louis? Many Seem To Think They Should At Least

Earlier this month, I wrote about the announcement by Amazon that the e-commerce juggernaut plans to build a second headquarters somewhere in North America. The company estimates that it will spend $5 billion to build the headquarters that will compliment its current headquarters in Seattle, Washington.

I wondered if the company would pick St. Louis? Many are wondering the same thing. Stakeholders in cities across the United States and Canada are hoping Amazon picks their city and searching for ways to sway Jeff Bezos and company.

The “Pick St. Louis” campaign is kicking into gear. Missouri Governor Eric Greitens announced that the state is going to “fight to win”, though Kansas City is also expected to put in a proposal to Amazon.   St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger announced they are putting together a team to work on a proposal.

An official offer of incentives offered to Bezos’ company has not been announced as of yet. The public relations campaign, however is gaining steam. Many words have been written and published urging Amazon to select St. Louis.

An Open Letter To Jeff Bezos

Sarah Glickfield, a Senior Software Development Manager at Bullhorn in St. Louis, published an open letter on LinkedIn to Jeff Bezos. Amazon’s Chief Executive Officer. In her letter, the New York native talks about why she chooses to live and work in St. Louis despite being courted multiple times in the last two years by Amazon.

Glickfield writes about how she’s not willing to give up her current lifestyle to move to Seattle, even though working at Amazon is “high on her bucket list.” She touts the city’s relatively low cost of living, the abundance of free attractions and even the finer foods St. Louis is known for like frozen custard, Imo’s and gooey butter cake.

While the letter’s focus is on the quality of life employees would enjoy in St. Louis, Glickfield also showcases the city’s growing tech scene. She notes programs like Arch Grants, the offices of Square — and soon Microsoft– and Venture Cafe meetups.

Russ Douthat, an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, published a pro-St. Louis piece in the paper titled “Meet Me In St. Louis, Bezos” last week. Douthat’s argument is that St. Louis may be the best choice for the company and the country. Douthat also points out that the comnpany is not a charity and the choice would have to make financial sense.

When Amazon first announced the HQ2 search and what they were looking for in a city, some thought St. Louis could be crossed off the list for not meeting the metrics Amazon was looking for.

Lyman Stone, a global cotton economist, has a deep piece on Medium detailing how no United States city meets all of the metrics mentioned in the Request For Proposal released by the company.

What’s The Timeline For Amazon’s HQ2?

Almost every city that doesn’t meet all of Amazon’s qualifications will be angling to be the choice for HQ2. Many will likely submit proposals by the October 19, 2017 deadline. In the coming weeks, The Ringer will be following the plans from various cities.

When will the internet giant make a decision on the location for HQ2? That remains to be seen. Until then, remember to use Amazon Smile when you are making your purchases on Amazon.

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