Is Charlotte Prime for Amazon? Is Luring HQ2 Worth the Incentives it Would Take?

CHARLOTTE, NC – Thursday is the deadline to submit bids to land Amazon’s second headquarters.

Charlotte is one of 100 cities courting the online retailer.

“Great connectivity, great infrastructure, great airport access,” explains former Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Michael Barnes.

He says Charlotte has the assets but wonders if the city and state are willing to offer the incentives to lure Amazon.

“I think you’re gonna see states just open up the vault,” Barnes says.

The world’s largest online retailer is promising 50,000 jobs and a $5 Billion investment over 15 years.

Cities across the country are trying to capture their attention.

Mayor Jennifer Roberts proclaimed Wednesday “#cltisprime” day.

Signs in Uptown and on city buses urge people to support the city’s effort.

“This would be a game changer,” says Ronnie Bryant, with the Charlotte Regional Partnership.

Local leaders haven’t said much about Charlotte’s offer, but Bryant says it’s a collaborative effort that includes potential locations not just in Mecklenburg County.

“If one of our sites is selected, would really change the landscape of this region,” Bryant says.

But if Charlotte makes the short list, Barnes says leaders will have to make some tough decisions about incentives.

“The question becomes, is that the best way to use public money and public resources, I don’t know. I was fairly conservative about those things but some people will want to do it,” Barnes says.

Some point to Chiquita — as a warning against offering too much.

That company’s headquarters moved to Charlotte in 2011 with $22 Million in local and state incentives.

It left three years later.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that you’ve gotta have political leaders who want to and who are willing to second guess and question the project before they say yes to it,” Barnes says.