Amazon.com Inc. has short-listed 20 cities and regions, including Toronto, for the construction of a second headquarters that it says will generate 50,000 new, high-paying jobs in a $5 billion investment.
Major U.S. centers including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington D.C. also made it onto the list announced on Thursday, and smaller cities such as Raleigh, North Carolina, and Columbus, Ohio. Toronto is the lone non-U.S. location.
The Seattle-based e-commerce giant's search for a location for a second North American headquarters set off a frenzy among city officials jostling for the economic boost such a project represents, with some of the 238 initial bidders promising billions of dollars in tax breaks.