Amazon, Crystal City Reportedly In Advanced Discussions For HQ2

CRYSTAL CITY, VA — Amazon is reportedly in advanced talks about possibly opening its HQ2 in Crystal City, bringing billions of dollars and 50,000 workers to northern Virginia. Discussions included how soon employees could move to the area and which buildings they would be in, The Washington Post reported Saturday, citing anonymous sources close to the process.

The Post reported that Amazon is so close to settling on Crystal City, in fact, that real estate developer JBG Smith removed some of its buildings off the leasing market. Officials are also mulling over how to announce the news to the public after the midterms, though Amazon could be having similar talks with other cities.

The Post said hundreds of workers would probably be moved into 1851 S. Bell Street or 1770 Crystal Dr. should Crystal City ultimately be selected.

The news comes amid growing speculation that the D.C. area — particularly Northern Virginia — will likely become the home of Amazon's massive 2nd headquarters. Northern Virginia was one of 20 areas on the e-commerce giant's short list. But experts have focused specifically on Crystal City as a likely landing spot.

The New York Times reported that Crystal City would be advantageous for several reasons: it's proximity to D.C., Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport; most buildings are owned by just one developer; it has a Metro station; and it as highly educated — and diverse— workforce. Virginia is also business-friendly.

Jeff Bezos, who took over The Post in 2013, said Thursday his own "intuition" would ultimately be the deciding factor.

Click here to read the full report from The Washington Post.

There are 20 finalists, including Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and other major cities, and many have reportedly offered incentives to Amazon to move there. It is a highly sought after project because Amazon claims it would include $5 billion in investment and 50,000 high-paying jobs.

SEE ALSO:

• Jeff Bezos Says He'll Use 'Intuition' For Amazon HQ2 Decision
• NoVa Surges To No. 1 On Amazon HQ2 Rankings List
• New DC Area Amazon Job Listing Creates HQ2 Buzz

There are other reasons to suspect Crystal City is at the top of the heap. Jeff Bezos already owns the area's newspaper, the Washington Post, as well as D.C.'s largest mansion, and it makes sense he would want to have a significant presence in stone's throw of a Congress that could look to target his company's labor practices, for example.

The D.C. area has three spots on Amazon's shortlist of 20 finalists: Northern Virginia, D.C, and Montgomery County, Maryland.

"There are a lot of merits to a lot of these places, but at the end of the day, all of the signs are pointing to Crystal City," Amy Liu, director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, was quoted as saying in the Times report. "I'm just going to say it."

Bezos said at a recent event -- hosted in D.C. a few weeks ago -- that he expects to make a decision before the end of the year.

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