They certainly know how to get your attention.

In what seemed to come as a surprise to almost everyone, Amazon, the largest Internet-based retailer in the world, announced late last week they would build a second and equal headquarters location somewhere in North America. Amazon is currently headquartered in Seattle, WA.

And just how does the company plan to choose the location of this second headquarters? Naturally, Amazon is encouraging cities across the continent to submit proposals detailing why they would be the best. Through this competition process, Amazon is sure to be able to pick a location based on what is most important to them.

Amazon’s Request for Proposal, or RFP, outlines some very specific wants for the company. Things like building size, land area, access to transportation, construction timeline, workforce, and financial incentives are all spelled out.

Almost immediately after Amazon’s announcement last week, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton announced he was instructing the Department of Employment and Economic Development to put together a proposal in response to Amazon’s RFP. Amazon already has operations in Minnesota and has been a great employer to thousands of employees. DEED quickly went to work, teaming up with regional economic development partner Greater MSP, to begin strategizing.

Time is of the essence. Amazon is calling for all proposals to be submitted to them by October 19. For a project of this size, that means a lot of work in a few short weeks. That’s why Greater MSP put out a call last week for anyone that may own or have access to potential project construction sites. Specifically, Amazon is looking for:

• Existing buildings of 500,000+ sq. ft., meeting the core requirements and that are expandable or have additional options for development nearby.
• Shovel-ready greenfield site of approximately 100 acres with utility infrastructure in place. Sites do not have to be contiguous, but should be in proximity to each other.
• Other infill, existing buildings, including opportunities for renovation/redevelopment and greenfield sites. This can also be a combination of the above.
  

The local submission is a key component at the present time.  DEED and Greater MSP are encouraging all interested parties to connect with the local government on any site, building, redevelopment, or creative opportunity.  We need local government and the local team around the opportunity to validate the opportunity per the guidelines of the RFP guide. 

Questions regarding real estate meeting these specifications should reach out to Joel Akason at Greater MSP by the end of day on September 22, 2017.