Baltimore Won't House Amazon's 2nd HQ, But Maryland Still Could
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Amazon has narrowed down its list for the company's second headquarters in North America, and Baltimore didn't make the cut.
Today we are announcing the communities that will proceed to the next step in the HQ2 process. Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough – all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity https://t.co/x1bFYbk4Ui pic.twitter.com/J2x0HHzBTR
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) January 18, 2018
There are 20 places that Amazon is still considering, and two of them are nearby -- Montgomery County and Washington D.C.
This new Amazon headquarters promises to be a gold mine wherever it lands, and the immediate challenge is beating 19 other locations to get it, but Baltimore isn't one of them.
Montgomery County is in competition with 19 other locations, including neighboring Washington D.C. and northern Virginia.
These 20 were chosen out of 238 proposals from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to go on to phase two of Amazon's hunt for a second headquarters to its Seattle home.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh says she's disappointed, but "if you don't get in the game, you don't get a chance to be chosen or not chosen."
Baltimore went all out to get Amazon to choose Port Covington. Governor Larry Hogan made it a priority, and it had heavy corporate support.
"We may never know what the factors were as relates to the Amazon decision," Pugh said. "What I'm saying is that we will continue to put our best foot forward and whatever the next opportunity is we'll be right there for it."
Montgomery county now stands to gain.
Montgomery County Executive Ike Legget says the choice says a lot about the county.
"It speaks to the strength of Montgomery County. An excellent workforce, a jurisdiction that covers urban, suburban, and rural areas."
With $5 billion and 50,000 jobs at stake, the priority now is to get it here in Maryland.
Gov. Hogan says the state is ready for the challenge.
"I was really pushing for the Port Covington site because I think Baltimore needed the help more than anyone else did, but we're thrilled that Maryland is on that short list and is potentially going to receive 50,000 jobs," Hogan said.
Hogan added that the state will do everything it can to make sure that happens.
The administration is planning to submit legislation for a $5 billion incentive package to get Amazon to choose Montgomery County. It's a combination of state and local tax incentives and infrastructure improvements.
House and Senate leaders have agreed to work with the governor on an incentive package.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh released the following statement:
"Naturally, like all Baltimoreans, I am disappointed that our city was not selected as among the finalists for Amazon's new headquarters. We presented a comprehensive proposal that we were confident was compelling and competitive. I want to express my deep gratitude to the many business and civic leaders who invested their expertise, dedication and time to advance Baltimore's prospects. While we may never know why our proposal was not successful, we will continue to accelerate the actions underway to improve the prospects of all our citizens.
"In no way will Amazon's decision slow our pursuit of a strong growth agenda for Baltimore, as we work to attract new investment, quality job opportunities, and importantly, new residents to a city celebrated for its diversity, and its rich higher educational, athletic, cultural, medical, and maritime assets. Baltimore is a great city and we will not let up in all that we're doing to realize our full potential."
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan released a statement after Montgomery County was named as one of the finalists:
"This is tremendous news for Montgomery County, our entire state, and further proof that Maryland is truly open for business. Maryland put forward an extremely strong group of sites that were all supported by the state with incentive packages totaling more than $5 billion, including road and transit improvements. Going forward, we will continue working with our partners in Montgomery County, including County Executive Ike Leggett and his team, to ensure that we do everything possible to bring this project home. This news is certainly welcome, but the real challenge lies ahead – and Maryland is ready to meet it."
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