SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Online retail giant Amazon is looking for a location to host their next headquarters and one local expert says San Diego is ripe for the taking.
Amazon said Thursday it would begin fielding bids from cities interested in playing host to the company's second North American headquarters. And the company's announcement has since left major cities across the country salivating at the offer.
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"We expect to invest over $5 billion in construction and grow this second headquarters to include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs – it will be a full equal to our current campus in Seattle," the company said in a release. "In addition to Amazon’s direct hiring and investment, construction and ongoing operation of Amazon HQ2 is expected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community."
Amazon said they are looking for a city "excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit."
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Cities have until Oct. 19 to submit their bids.
Matt Awbrey, deputy chief of staff for San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, said San Diego intends to put together a "regional response."
"San Diego has the geographic proximity to international markets, unparalleled quality of life and workforce talent that companies like Amazon are looking for, so Mayor Faulconer’s office has directed the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation to coordinate a regional response."
San Diego State University marketing professor Steven Osinski told 10News reporter Laura Acevedo that San Diego could be a very attractive option for Amazon.
"We have a very highly educated workforce, they're skilled in technology. Other pros for San Diego are that we're in close proximity to Mexico, which is a tremendous opportunity for Amazon to expand upon," Osinski said.
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Another pro: San Diego's Millennial-aged population.
"They love the company, they love the product, they love the culture and I think it would be a good blend for the two of them to be together," Osinski said of the relationship between local Millennials and Amazon.
Though between real estate costs and the fact that Amazon already has a large west coast operation in Seattle, Osinski said the chips could be stacked against America's Finest City.
"I think the logistics are going to be a problem for us," Osinski said.
