Connecticut enters Amazon ‘HQ2’ bidding war
Connecticut's bid for Amazon’s highly-coveted second headquarters includes proposed sites in the Stamford and Hartford areas, according to a report.
The Hartford Courant reports (http://cour.at/2xXPv9i ) that Catherine Smith, commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, told local officials in a letter on Monday of that determination by a team including representatives from several state agencies.
She said those locations meet Amazon's criteria.
The Seattle company says it will spend more than $5 billion to build a second headquarters in North America with as many as 50,000 jobs. It says it's looking at metropolitan areas with populations of more than a million that have the potential to attract top technical talent.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the company envisions “HQ2” as a “full equal” of its Seattle hub, and aims to find a location that includes access to solid education and mass transit systems, as well as an international airport. Dozens of cities have already expressed interest in the project, including New York, Chicago and Tucson.
Communities may also make their own bids. A spokeswoman for Bridgeport says the city and New Haven are planning their own proposal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
