VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY/CNBC) — Amazon said Thursday it narrowed the list of potential sites for its second headquarters to 20 cities.
Unfortunately, Virginia’s biggest city didn’t make the cut.
The Commonwealth submitted a proposal for Amazon’s second headquarters that recommended seven potential locations, including Virginia Beach, back in October of 2017.
Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms told 10 On Your Side in September of 2017 the city was eager at the possibility.
While Hampton Roads is not a top 20 finalist, the Commonwealth still has a chance with Northern Virginia left in the running.
Amazon said it will spend $5 billion in the city where it builds its second headquarters, and will employ 50,000 there. The company previously said it was looking at metropolitan areas with 1 million people and a stable, business-friendly environment.
The remaining 20 cities are:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Indianapolis, IN
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- Montgomery County, MD
- Nashville, TN
- Newark, NJ
- New York City, NY
- Northern Virginia, VA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Raleigh, NC
- Toronto, ON
- Washington D.C.
The e-commerce giant received 238 proposals from cities in North America, many with lofty tax incentives and unique offers directed at CEO Jeff Bezos.Related: McAuliffe: Virginia ‘perfectly positioned’ to house second Amazon HQ
“Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough – all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity,” Holly Sullivan, an executive with Amazon Public Policy, said in a statement.
The 20 cities that are moving on in the selection process will work with Amazon over the coming months to “evaluate the feasibility of a future partnership,” the company said.
Amazon expects to make a final decision this year.
An analysis by CNBC determined that the Charlotte/Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina best matched Amazon’s criteria.