Jacksonville could have sights on Amazon's second headquarters

Another Amazon headquarters along with 50,000 jobs are up for grabs as the Seattle-based company recently announced it's expanding.

Dozens of cities are competing for the second headquarters that could boost the winner's economy by billions of dollars, and two sources have told Action News Jax that Jacksonville is one of them.  
The deadline for bids is now less than three weeks away.

In Seattle, the online retailer estimates it's added $38 billion to the city's economy from 2010 through 2016, and the company’s growing.

Already in Jacksonville, Amazon has opened a fulfillment center in northern part of the city by the airport and there’s another coming soon to the Cecil Commerce Center.

Both fulfillment centers will create thousands of jobs for Jacksonville.

According to the company, the winner of the bid would mean an estimated 50,000 jobs over the next 10 to 15 years with an average salary of $100,000.

Most major cities like Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver are expected to bid for it, but how does Jacksonville stack up?

Space is a crucial factor listed on Amazon’s bid, and Jacksonville has plenty of that.

A business-friendly environment and tax structure are also on the list and with Florida having no state income tax, that is another plus for the River City.

Quality of life will also be a plus for Jacksonville thanks to weather and waterways.

So where would Jacksonville fall short? Logistics.

Amazon wants daily direct flights to Seattle and San Francisco, which could be added, but could come with other costs.

Another issue is having a large enough labor force qualified to fill the estimated 50,000 jobs.

Finally, it will come down to which city will offer up the most attractive deal.

The deadline is Oct. 19 and Amazon says it will make a decision next year.

Cox Media Group