Seattle area out of the running for Amazon HQ2

Even if Amazon did “give serious consideration” to Northwest cities bidding for a shot at the retail giant’s second headquarters, known as HQ2, it still passed. The company released a list of 20 cities that its considering setting up shop in, and none of the Seattle-area bids made the cut.

Although Amazon already has their HQ1 here, city leaders had implored the company to “stay with us and grow with us.” Area bids pitched that Amazon could expand by setting up a nearby second home. One bid in Tacoma pointed out multiple empty land parcels downtown—while still adjacent to Amazon’s existing home. A regional bid from King and Snohomish Counties, given a stamp of approval from the City of Seattle, outlined 10 potential sites in the greater metro. One of those sites is Tulalip tribal land, also outlined in the tribe’s own bid.

Amazon ultimately decided to put a little more distance from its hometown, which isn’t the biggest surprise. Most area bids were missing a key ingredient: a different talent pool.

Municipalities still in the running are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Montgomery County in Maryland, Nashville, Newark, New York, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Toronto, and the other Washington.

That doesn’t mean they’re packing up and leaving anytime soon. The second headquarters “will be a full equal to our current campus in Seattle,” read the original announcement. But it could mean a slowdown on the company’s stronghold. The company currently occupies 19 percent of Seattle’s prime business real estate, and they’ve been frequently cited as a driving force behind Seattle’s rising housing costs—or at least skyrocketing demand.

• Amazon announces 20 finalists for new headquarters [Curbed]