Cities around the country are pulling out all the stops to entice Amazon to set up its second headquarters in their area.
The online retail giant is taking proposals from around North America, and today's the deadline. Some of the proposals include massive tax breaks, while other cities are trying out humorous gimmicks to get the company's attention.
New Jersey has offered the biggest tax incentives, consisting of up to $7 billion in state and local tax rebates if Amazon locates in Newark and hires the 50,000 workers it has said it would. The company has also promised $5 billion in spending on construction of the headquarters. The New Jersey offer, announced Monday, is $2 billion more than what Republican Governor Chris Christie and the Democratic-led New Jersey legislature agreed to last month.
Pennsylvania is considering tax breaks of up to $1 billion, while the city of Philadelphia may contribute up to $2 billion in breaks over the next 10 years, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Boston is called a top-five possibility, with multiple possible sites, and the city's mayor has said he's "in the competition to win." Worcester, an hour west, has made the details of its offer public—it's willing to give $500 million in real-estate tax exemptions and a 100% exemption personal property tax exemption for 20 years. New Hampshire, meanwhile, decided that the best way to woo Amazon is to knock its neighbor: "Boston is known for congested, decaying roads and overcrowded subways," reads the Granite State's proposal, according to WBUR.
California will give up to $200 million in tax credits and $100 million in training funds, plus property tax abatements. Several cities in the state, along with at least two private developers, are making bids for Amazon's new HQ.
Missouri's elected representatives have made a full-court press, pitching both St. Louis and Kansas City as great spots.
In the end, it would probably be easier to list states that aren't trying to get the retail giant's attention than those that are. While the huge tax breaks are eye-catching, they're only part of the equation. In the end, a city that's attractive enough to have large amounts of talent, particularly software developers, may be the most important factor.
