Philadelphia's Bid For New Amazon Headquarters Picking Up Momentum
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As the deadline approaches for cities to submit proposals to Amazon in their quest to land the second headquarters of the world's largest online retailer, some new economic data pushes Philadelphia to near the front of the line.
Moody's Analytics used Amazon's stated preferences and its own understanding of relevant economic factors to come up with a top 10 list for Amazon's HQ2. Austin finishes first in the overall rankings, followed by Atlanta, and then Philadelphia. Rochester and Pittsburgh finish out the top five.
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Moody's says while Philadelphia performed modestly in all of the key categories, including business environment, human capital, cost, quality of life and transportation, the geography category could be a wildcard.
Philly's biggest selling point is the proximity to New York and Washington, D.C. The city is already reminding everyone of its ideal location as part of a digital marketing campaign that began this week.
"We have talent, affordability, we have quality of life, and we have this capacity to grow," said John Grady with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation.
However, Moody's ranked Philadelphia behind other contending cities in "Business Environment" and "Quality of Life," but higher in "Transportation Infrastructure."
Grady argues that the City of Brotherly Love actually has the whole package, and he and his team will make sure Amazon knows it.
"Here's an opportunity on a national scale to tell a story about what makes Philadelphia unique," Grady said.
Grady also said that Philadelphia leaders are aware of, and prepared for a potential building boom caused by Amazon's HQ2. Seattle is still dealing with affordability issues for lower and middle class families, largely the result of Amazon expanding its influence during the last few weeks.
Moody's, which is based in West Chester, says other factors, including specific site availability, and what the metro areas on the short list are willing to offer, will influence the outcome.
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Philadelphia will officially submit its bid Thursday at the deadline. The city is not recommending a set location to Amazon, hoping to work with the company to find an idea site if selected.
City leaders are not sure of how quickly a decision will be reached, although Amazon moves notoriously quickly with most aspects of its company and has openly said it hopes break ground in 2019.
The Mayor's office says over 200 leaders in the region's business sector, including from the start-up community, as well as more than 65 college and university presidents signed letters of support or provided testimonials.
The Philadelphia region's arts, culture, culinary, athletic, academic, development and business sectors participated in the videos that were produced in conjunction with the bid.