On Thursday morning, Amazon announced it had whittled down the list of prospects for its coveted HQ2 to 20 candidates. New York City made the cut among others such as Los Angeles, Miami — and a few surprise outliers such as Columbus and Indianapolis.
The news comes after a reported 238 cities submitted applications to host the tech space, which will serve as a sister site to Amazon’s massive Seattle campus. Amazon’s only requirements for the location be that it have a population of more than one million, and the “ability to attract and keep strong technical talent,” per The New York Times.
The search resulted in a series of highly-public bids from local governments across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Cities made moving videos about their local history, held public events, and in New York City’s case — turned the Empire State Building Amazon Orange when CEO Jeff Bezos and company were in the city last fall.
Of course, the city ultimately selected to host HQ2 is in for a lot more than bragging rights. According to multiple statistics, the location will be part of a $5 billion construction plan and ultimately result in the creation of 50,000 jobs.
Though the release of Amazon’s final 20 candidates is spurring a wave of excitement, those hoping that HQ2 will land in their backyard any day now will have to be patient. According to Amazon’s website, the final selection will not be announced until later in 2018.
New York City residents have reason to remain hopeful, however, as Amazon has been building a presence in the city over the last year. Amazon now boasts a brick-and-mortar bookstore in Columbus Circle, and as recently as September 2017 announced the opening of a new NYC-based warehouse. When reached for comment, Amazon declined to elaborate on the status of their decision.
Find the full list of Amazon’s final 20 candidates for HQ2 below:
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Atlanta, GA
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Austin, TX
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Boston, MA
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Chicago, IL
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Columbus, OH
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Dallas, TX
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Denver, CO
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Indianapolis, IN
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Los Angeles, CA
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Miami, FL
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Montgomery County, MD
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Nashville, TN
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Newark, NJ
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New York City, NY
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Northern Virginia, VA
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Philadelphia, PA
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Pittsburgh, PA
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Raleigh, NC
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Toronto, ON
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Washington DC
