Georgia prepares Amazon HQ2 pitch; $5B in investments, 50K jobs on the line

ATLANTA — The state of Georgia plans to have its bid to win Amazon’s east coast headquarters submitted by the Thursday deadline.

Georgia and the Metro Atlanta area are just one of dozens of other cities and regions trying to win what Amazon calls HQ2.

The online retail giant could bring with it $5 billion in investments along with 50,000 jobs.

Georgia's Office of Economic Development is keeping quiet about the state’s bid, though other regions have given hints about what they’re offering, including big tax incentives.

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Amazon said it’s looking for certain things from its new HQ2 location, including a large metropolitan area with more than 1 million people, access to mass transit, a business-friendly environment and an international airport within 45 minutes of its new headquarters.

State leaders believe Metro Atlanta fits that bill.

Among the sites being talked about as potential locations for a new Amazon headquarters are a site near the MARTA station in Dunwoody, along with the old GM plant site in Doraville, which also has access to MARTA and some heavy railroad lines.

State Rep. Tom Taylor has both of those sites in his district.

“We’d love to see them here,” Taylor said. “We’ve got a lot of diverse sites, not just here in DeKalb. You’ve got Fort McPherson, some other sites they’re looking at. A $5 billion investment, 50,000 jobs -- that’s huge, and DeKalb really needs that shot in the arm to move forward.”

Cox Media Group