The Wall Street Journal reported today that Amazon plans to split its second headquarters evenly between two cities rather than picking one city for its much-ballyhooed HQ2, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The decision comes as a welcome surprise to economic developer across the United States because the massive economic impact will now be spread across two communities. Could one of those communities be in Arizona?
When Amazon announced the 20 finalists for its second headquarters earlier this year, there are no Arizona cities on the list. The 20 finalists were heavily skewed toward the east, away from Amazon’s first headquarters in Seattle.
But the decision to split the second headquarters between two cities could bode well for Arizona, especially since Amazon already has a big presence here.
The Wall Street Journal story said the driving force behind the decision to build two equal offices in addition to the company’s headquarters in Seattle is recruiting enough tech talent, according to the person familiar with the company’s plans. With both ASU and the University of Arizona among the most innovative schools in the country, could Amazon take a second look at Arizona?
