At least 101 cities in the U.S. and Canada have expressed interest in hosting the second Amazon headquarters since the company released a request for proposal Sept. 7, reports The Seattle Times.
Amazon is accepting bids for its $5 billion campus, which could generate nearly 50,000 jobs, through Oct. 19.
For the e-commerce company's second headquarters, dubbed "HQ2" and pitched as a full equal to its Seattle office, Amazon said it will give preference to metropolitan areas with more than 1 million people and access to an international airport, mass transit, quality higher education, a highly educated workforce and a business-friendly environment.
Amazon has also specified it will consider tax breaks offered by governments to help offset its costs as a factor when making its decision.
A number of mayors and governors have thrown their hats into the ring, even though many do not appear to meet Amazon's wish list, according to The Seattle Times.
"A lot of the places know that they're really a longshot, but they don't want to be accused of not being in the hunt," Andy Shapiro, a corporate relocation consultant with Walnut Creek, Calif.-based advisory firm Biggins Lacy Shapiro, told The Seattle Times. "They're going to be able to say, 'We took a shot.' "
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