As We Await a Decision, Here’s an Amazon HQ2 Timeline

Time moves slowly when you’re waiting for a big announcement, and it feels like Amazon’s is taking forever.

It’s been nearly a year since the e-commerce behemoth said it would select a city for its second North American headquarters. You probably know the high points by now. It’s a projected $5 billion investment in a campus that could bring up to 50,000 high-paying jobs over the next decade or two. It’s a game-changer for any city in terms of jobs, housing affordability and the city’s character—and Chicago is one of the finalists.

In the early days, long shot cities made elaborate pitches to win the hearts and minds of Amazon executives. Kansas City’s mayor wrote 1,000 5-star Amazon reviews. Tucson, Ariz., sent a truck with a giant saguaro cactus. Stonecrest, Ga., said it would rename itself Amazon.

But Amazon proved to be more pragmatic, using a so-far unknown metric that the company says includes measures of tech talent, housing affordability and, of course, incentives offered by cities, counties, states and business organizations.

Meanwhile, those who have spoken with Amazon officials during their visits to finalist cities have been sworn to secrecy with nondisclosure agreements. That’s one reason all we’re hearing is crickets.

The New York Times reported that there may be another shortlist of finalists announced. Meanwhile, cities and states appear to be hustling. Newark, New Jersey, for example, recently approved $2 billion in incentives to lure HQ2.

There’s no clear frontrunner, but plenty of speculation.

Chicago was ranked fifth most likely to win HQ2 in a survey by Geekwire.com. But when the Wall Street Journal conducted its analysis based on what was known about Amazon’s search, Chicago ranked in the second-to-last tier of cities. In that analysis, Dallas and the Washington, D.C. area topped the charts.

While we await a decision, here’s a look back and how far we’ve come.

Now, here’s a look at some of our previous Amazon HQ2 coverage: