Philadelphia Among 20 Finalists For Second Amazon Headquarters
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia is one step closer to bringing Amazon's second headquarters to the City of Brotherly Love.
The city is now on a list of 20 finalists and the competition is fierce.
Mayor Jim Kenney called this an exciting milestone and now the serious work begins by making Philadelphia stand out in a field of 19 other cities and locations.
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"Philadelphia's inclusion in Amazon's Top 20 potential locations for HQ2 is an exciting milestone for the city," said Kenney. "We are thrilled at today's announcement, and look forward to working with Amazon's team on the next steps of this process to further highlight all that Philadelphia has to offer."
"I feel better today because we went from 238 to 20," said Commerce Director Harold Epps.
Epps says that's good math because Philly's odds have suddenly increased 10-fold.
"It's an awesome city. It's amazing. I've lived here my whole life," said Fairmount resident Steph Engelmayer.
Philadelphia finds itself in a crowded horse race with New York, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami, among others.
The tech giant estimates the creation of some 50,000 jobs.
The city pitched two sites in October – the Philadelphia Navy Yard and University City.
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"We've done our analysis, and we think talent, mobility, location, transportation makes us competitive against anybody else," said Epps.
The city hasn't disclosed what types of incentives it has put on the table to beat out the rest. Leaders expect a conference call with Amazon, possibly on Friday.
"Pennsylvania's strategic location in the heart of the East Coast, nationally ranked educational institutions, and a workforce equipped to support future growth, makes it prime for Amazon's second headquarters in North America," said Gov. Tom Wolf in a statement.
Delaware did not make it to the top 20, but in a statement says it is now throwing its full weight behind Philadelphia.
