Amazon To Split HQ2 Between 2 Cities: Report

ARLINGTON, VA -- Crystal City may yet land Amazon's second headquarters, as many experts are predicting -- but it may only get 25,000 employees, not 50,000. A new report from the Wall Street Journal indicates that the retail giant will split its HQ2 evenly between two cities.

The reason is because Amazon doubts that it can recruit so much tech talent in one place, and the company is hedging its bets. In addition to Crystal City, Amazon is believed to be in "advanced" talks with Dallas and New York City.

The decision could alleviate some concerns that Amazon bringing such a huge workforce into Crystal City -- an area that already lacks affordable housing -- would create a nightmare scenario in terms of skyrocketing cost of living and traffic headaches. Many have also criticized Amazon for attempting to get huge incentives in terms of tax breaks or other benefits from cities and localities hoping to land the project.

The Washington Post Post first reported this weekend that Crystal City was the frontrunner. The report indicated that hundreds of workers would probably be moved into 1851 S. Bell Street or 1770 Crystal Dr. should Crystal City ultimately be selected.

The news comes amid growing speculation that the D.C. area — particularly Northern Virginia — will likely become the home of Amazon's massive 2nd headquarters. Northern Virginia was one of 20 areas on the e-commerce giant's short list. But experts have focused specifically on Crystal City as a likely landing spot.

The New York Times reported that Crystal City would be advantageous for several reasons: it's proximity to D.C., Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport; most buildings are owned by just one developer; it has a Metro station; and it as highly educated — and diverse— workforce. Virginia is also business-friendly.

Jeff Bezos, who took over The Post in 2013, said Thursday his own "intuition" would ultimately be the deciding factor.

Additional reporting by Daniel Hampton/Patch

(Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)