How Captain Kirk Can Help Chicago Win Amazon HQ Bid

CHICAGO, IL — It's no secret that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos loves Star Trek, and to help entice the company to build its second headquarters in Chicago, the city has enlisted none other than Captain James T. Kirk. According to several aldermen—who got a sneek peak at the city's Amazon pitch video last week—"Star Trek" actor William Shatner narrates the pitch.

Bezos loves the franchise so much that he even made a cameo appearance as an alien Starfleet official in Paramount Picture's "Star Trek Beyond." In 2014, Bezos nominated Shatner and fellow "Star Trek" stars Patrick Stewart and George Takei for the Ice Bucket Challenge.

"When I was in fourth grade, I watched every "Star Trek" episode in re-runs many times—over and over—they would just repeat them," Bezos said in an interview with GeekWire. "And I'm a huge science fiction fan in general."

A mayoral spokesman told the Chicago Tribune that the city economic development agency World Business Chicago is paying for Shatner's voice work, but the spokesman declined to reveal how much the actor was paid.

Whether Shatner's smooth voice will entice Amazon H2Q to Chicago remains to be seen, but the city has been courting the company in other ways, starting with a $2.25 billion incentive package. The package includes about $1.4 billion in state EDGE tax credits, $60 million in property tax breaks, and free land worth $100 million if Amazon chooses to build HQ2 at the old Michael Reese Hospital site.

"Chicago offers unparalleled potential for future growth for businesses of all sizes and is the ideal place for Amazon to build its HQ2," Emanuel said in a statement earlier this month. "This bid will demonstrate to Amazon that Chicago has the talent, transportation and technology to help the company as it reaches new heights and continues to thrive for generations to come."

But every large city in North America is also offering incentive packages, some of which dwarf Chicago's. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has offered the company $9 billion in incentives.

Amazon plans to spend around $5 billion building and running its second headquarters, which is expected to create 50,000 jobs in the chosen city.

Main image: proposed Amazon HQ at Lincoln Yards. Credit: Sterling Bay