Arizona city among least appealing for new Amazon headquarters
Oct 12, 2017, 9:00 AM | Updated: 12:35 pm
(AP File Photo)
(AP File Photo)
PHOENIX — Amazon has been searching for weeks for the perfect city to build its second headquarters in, but one Arizona city is not looking like it will be the big winner.
According to Washingtonian, Tucson is one of the least-appealing cities for Amazon’s newest headquarters.
The reason? Sun Corridor, a Tucson business-development group, attempted to sway Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos by sending a 21-foot saguaro cactus on a flatbed truck to Seattle.
Thx @SunCorridorInc! Unfortunately we can’t accept gifts (even really cool ones) so we donated it to @DesertMuseum 🌵 https://t.co/ZJPQfs44cq pic.twitter.com/Fot06Kgs9P
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) September 19, 2017
However, Amazon rejected the gift, instead donating the cactus to the Desert Museum in Tucson. In Arizona, for what its worth, saguaros can only be removed with a permit from the state’s Department of Agriculture.
Tucson is not the only Arizona city vying for Bezo’s affection: Phoenix offered up the site of its first shopping mall as the ideal headquarters, while the mayors of both Mesa and Chandler also voiced a desire to have the company in their city.
It’s no surprise that all these cities are looking to house Amazon’s new headquarters: It could create as many as 50,000 direct jobs, boost indirect employment by 53,000, and create $38 billion in economic activity, according to the Washingtonian.
The officials of these Arizona cities do not have much longer to get their bids in: Responses are due by Oct. 19.
