Amazon scouts to visit Chicago for headquarters bid

Amazon’s team will visit 10 proposed sites in Chicago for its second North American headquarters.

As part of its of heavily publicized search for its second headquarters, Amazon is sending scouts to Chicago this week to visit a number of proposed sites for its second North American headquarters, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Dubbed HQ2, the internet retailer’s second headquarters would reportedly bring $5 billion in investment and 50,000 new jobs.

Amazon’s team will look at 10 locations pitched by city and state officials, but details remain somewhat meager thanks to nondisclosure agreements officials have with Amazon, according to the Tribune.

News of Amazon’s massive investment has sparked a bidding war among state and local governments across the nation, with multiple officials already offering the e-commerce behemoth billions of dollars in incentives and tax breaks. In October, Illinois offered Amazon a $2.25 billion incentives package, including $1.4 billion under the Economic Development for a Growing Economy tax credit program.

Chicago’s bid featured a number of sites within the city including locations such as Willis Tower and a revamped Union Station, as well as locations in the suburbs, including in McDonalds’ former headquarters in Oakbrook, and the Motorola Solutions campus in Schaumburg, according to the Tribune.

Amazon announced Chicago had made it to the top 20 finalists in January. However, the city faces stiff competition and it still remains to be seen whether city and state leaders can land HQ2. It also remains to be seen how much such a deal would truly cost.