Amazon narrows down search for HQ2, Atlanta still in the race

And then there were 20.

Amazon reviewed 238 proposals from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to host HQ2, the company’s second headquarters in North America.

Yesterday, Amazon announced it had narrowed down the 238 proposals to 20 prospective metropolitan areas.

In those top 20s is Georgia’s very own metropolitan city of Atlanta.

Stephens County Development Authority Director Tim Martin tells WNEG News what this could mean for Georgia.

“This is huge. It’s just a really big deal, especially with Georgia being considered,” he said.

According to Martin, Atlanta checks all the boxes that Amazon is looking for in a city to be home of the new headquarters.

Amazon evaluated each of the proposals based on the criteria outlined in the RFP to create the list of 20 HQ2 candidates that will continue in the selection process.

In the coming months, Amazon will work with each of the candidate locations to dive deeper into their proposals, request additional information, and evaluate the feasibility of a future partnership that can accommodate the company’s hiring plans as well as benefit its employees and the local community.

Martin added that if Amazon selects Atlanta then it will have a positive impact across the state in every city.

“If Georgia is successful, then Toccoa and Stephens County are successful,” he said.

He says that if larger companies come to a particular city then it influences other companies’ decisions to invest in the same community.

If Amazon does select Atlanta it is expected to create 50,000 high-paying jobs and invest over $5 billion in the city.

Amazon expects to make a decision in 2018.