Sault Ste. Marie is out of the running to host Amazon’s second headquarters.
The American retail giant announced a shortlist of 20 cities on Jan. 18, and the Sault isn’t on it.
In fact, Toronto is the only Canadian city on the list. The remaining cities include larger metropolitan areas like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta and Miami. The full list can be found here.
Sault Ste. Marie submitted a bid to be considered for the headquarters after Amazon issued a request for proposals (RFP) in September when the subject was broached by Sault Coun. Matthew Shoemaker.
Among the preferred assets listed in its RFP, Amazon cited a location within 30 miles of the population centre and 45 minutes of an international airport. It wants a site that’s close to major roadways, with access to mass transit, including rail, subway, or bus routes.
Initially, the company is seeking 500,000 square feet of building space, but that could grow up to eight million square feet beyond 2027.
It anticipates making investments of $38 billion into the community and estimates more than 50,000 jobs could be created as a result.
Though Shoemaker acknowledged the Sault was an underdog to win the bid, he suggested the process itself would be beneficial in raising the city’s profile amongst other investors and developers.
