Philadelphia sent a staffer to Seattle to help 'understand the Amazon culture'
- Philadelphia wants Amazon to know it's serious about competing for the company's second headquarters.
- The city is sending staffers to Seattle "to ensure we really understand the Amazon culture and what they're looking for in a new city/ culture," a spokesperson told CNBC.
- Amazon has said that it wants a metro area with more than 1 million people, the ability to attract top talent, and more.
As cities gear up to pitch themselves to house Amazon's second headquarters, Philadelphia is making sure Amazon knows it's serious.
The city sent a staffer to Seattle on Monday and are sending out others next week to "to ensure we really understand the Amazon culture and what they're looking for in a new city/ culture," said a spokesperson for the City of Philadelphia.
Responses to Amazon's request for proposals are due October 19th and over a dozen cities across the country have said they are looking at submitting a bid.
Amazon has stated a few preferences for the bids they are considering. The company is looking at metropolitan areas with more than one million people, with a stable and business friendly environment, urban or suburban locations that can attract talent and communities that "think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options."
The new campus is expected to employ as many as 50,000 people and cost over $5 billion to build and run.
In a previous statement the City of Philadelphia said they would provide Amazon "with a perfectly located East Coast hub where they have access to a rapidly growing millennial talent pool," given the company's preference for a city with over 1 million people.
"We're also much more affordable than other nearby east coast cities with similar population sizes, they added.
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