Salt Lake Eligible For New Amazon Headquarters

Salt Lake City could potentially host Amazon’s second corporate headquarters. The tech and shipping giant has announced a competition amongst major cities in North America to be the site of a second HQ in addition to their main offices in Seattle, Washington. The $5 billion office will employ at least 50,000 people and no doubt inject significant revenue into the host city’s economy.

Amazon has put forward a series of criteria it is seeking among contending cities. First, the city must be in a metro area of at least 1 million people and located near major airports and highways. Second, there must be a robust educational system in place.

Third, Amazon is seeking a city with ample office space and/or land for the planned development of an 8-million-acre campus.  Fourth, the city must have a government that is amenable to looser corporate regulation and willing to expedite construction processes. Fifth, the city must have ample recreational options for potential Amazon employees. Finally, Amazon wants a city that “fits” with its corporate culture.

Salt Lake definitely meets many of these criteria According to a US Census 2014 estimate, the Salt Lake Metropolitan Area has a population of 1,153,340, fulfilling Amazon’s requirements for a sizable metro.

The HQ would have near-immediate access to the Salt Lake International Airport (America’s 24th busiest by passenger flight volume), as well as proximity to the Union Pacific Railroad and to I-15 and I-80. The University of Utah has gained renown for its STEM programs, and the populace of Salt Lake is highly educated for a relatively smaller city.

Salt Lake may not have sufficient existing office space, but it has more than enough undeveloped land that could be expanded. The government of Salt Lake, and Utah, in general, is very business-friendly and would readily be able to incentivize Amazon to build HQ2 here.

On the recreational side, Salt Lake is only 15 minutes away from several world-class ski resorts; additionally, Utah’s 5 national parks are all within a 5-hour drive from the capital.

Salt Lake also arguably is a good fit for Amazon’s corporate culture, with a lively spirit of entrepreneurship and dynamism that has contributed to the city’s growth as a tech hub in the Mountain West.

Salt Lake, however, faces some tough competition. Several cities have already begun to apply for the competition, and they are formidable options.

New York City has begun to aggressively make its case, and Chicago, Los Angeles, and Toronto have all thrown their hat in the ring. It remains to be seen whether or not Salt Lake joins the competition. But if it does so, it could make a very compelling case.