Amazon Officials Toured DC, NoVa Sites Last Week: Report

Amazon officials quietly toured multiple sites in D.C. and Northern Virginia -- as well as Montgomery County on the Maryland side -- as the search for the right site for the company's massive second headquarters intensifies, according to a report.

D.C., Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County grabbed three of the final 20 spots on the Amazon 2nd HQ short list, released earlier this year. The Washington Post reported that Amazon officials were in the area last week to take a look at some of the proposed sites, and also met with Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Amazon's 2nd headquarters would bring billions of dollars in investment and 50,000 jobs to the winning location, which is why so many cities are courting the online giant.

A total of nine sites in the D.C. area have been proposed for the sprawling campus, the Post reported. Officials started early in the week with Northern Virginia, focusing on sites in Alexandria, Arlington, and the Center for Innovative Technology campus in Herndon.

In D.C., Amazon is considering four spots: the area behind Union Station, the U Street corridor, along the Anacostia River in Southeast, and the RFK Stadium area.

Both Northam and Bowser reportedly dined with Amazon officials last week.

The D.C. area has emerged as a frontrunner for Amazon's 2nd HQ after grabbing three of 20 spots on the short list. D.C. holds a lot of advantages, not the least of which is the fact that Amazon's owner, Jeff Bezos, purchased the Washington Post not long ago and owns a home in the area.

Amazon is expected to get lucrative offers from city and state officials hoping to lure the company, including inventive packages worth billions of dollars. As a result, some are critical of efforts to lure in Amazon, arguing that it will be a bad deal for taxpayers.

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