Breaking Down Charlotte’s Failed Amazon Bid

CHARLOTTE, NC — It’s the big one. The largest economic development project in the history of this country.

But Charlotte was left off the list of finalists for Amazon’s HQ2, leaving many wondering why.

I went to the man at the helm of the Charlotte area bid for answers.

“Number of tech jobs that we have in the region,” says Charlotte Regional Partnership CEO Ronnie Bryant.

That may be what sank Charlotte’s bid.

The region currently has a little more than 47,000 technology jobs. The average for the 20 cities amazon selected is 105,000.

Bryant spoke to the project leader from Amazon.

“We put together a wealth of information that has truly, and will continue to help us with other projects,” says Bryant. “We’ve got 98 other projects that we’re working. Amazon was just one.”

They discussed five data points, four of which were positive.

Amazon liked Charlotte-Douglas Airport, area transportation infrastructure – like light rail, the business climate and tech talent growth, in which Charlotte is a national leader.

“We have a national reputation as a great place to live,” says Bryant. “And that’s evident in the in-migration that you see coming into our market.”

But Charlotte is still searching for a national identity. Being a “banking center” may not be the best hook for attracting companies like Amazon.

The fallout from not making the cut may be putting some strain on the Regional Partnership. The Monroe-Union County Economic Development Board has voted to suspend their membership.

They sent us a statement citing the amount they pay into the partnership, and saying they will determine the value of membership with county commissioners.

“We, always, are very concerned, always very interested in insuring that we meet the expectations of all of our investors, all of our partners,” says Bryant.

The Charlotte Amazon bid was a regional proposal, involving two states and six local counties. The Union County commissioners will hear the recommendation to suspend membership in the Charlotte Regional Partnership at their February 5th meeting.