Columbus finalist for new Amazon HQ, NYT disses us

Amazon has whittled down a list of 238 proposals for it’s second headquarters to 20 potential locations including Columbus, Ohio! But leave it to New York Times and their regional snobbery to take a big poo on our small victory.

“Many of the finalists, including Dallas, Denver, Raleigh, N.C., and Washington, were considered shoo-ins,” wrote Nick Wingfield of NYT. “More unexpected was Amazon’s selection of Columbus, Indianapolis, Nashville and Miami.”

This subtle little jab comes after NYT called Columbus an “alternate universe” because we have a temperature-controlled Eddie Bauer store to test products in real elements and because Kroger stores sell artisan bread.

We know we’re not LA but is it really that surprising that we made the list? 

An Amazon HQ in Columbus would mean 50,000 high-paying jobs, and a $5 billion investment by Amazon to make it happen. Dayton Daily News reports it would also have potential to create tens of thousands of additional jobs as well as tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community.

There are already two different Amazon fulfillment centers in central Ohio—Etna and Obetz—that employ thousands of people, hold tens of millions of products, and utilize robotic technologies.

Here’s the full list of the 20 finalists in alphabetical order:

Atlanta
Austin, Tex.
Boston
Chicago
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas
Denver
Indianapolis
Los Angeles
Miami
Montgomery County, Md.
Nashville
Newark
New York
Northern Virginia
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Raleigh, N.C.
Toronto
Washington, D.C.

Mayor Ginther’s reaction:

“Amazon recognizes what we already know — America’s opportunity city would provide an excellent home for Amazon. Clearly, they see that Columbus has the skilled workforce, world-class educational institutions, phenomenal infrastructure and culture of collaboration that helps businesses operate mission-critical facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

“While Amazon has not yet shared with us the next steps, the City of Columbus will continue to coordinate with Columbus 2020 on this exciting opportunity for our community. We will compete hard, we will compete professionally and we will be respectful of Amazon’s process. Most importantly, we will ensure that, if selected, this development will provide new opportunities for our entire community.”

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