The D.C. area scored big in Amazon's final list of 20 regions it's considering as possible sites for its second headquarters.
Included are big cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta, as well as Pittsburgh, Raleigh and Nashville.
But for a region, D.C. has pulled in 15 percent of those possibilities with the District itself getting a nod, Montgomery County, Md. and Northern Virginia.
But what is Amazon looking for?
To win the second Amazon headquarters will be a huge prize for any city or region.
It'll be a $5 billion direct investment which will bring 50,000 high-paying jobs. Amazon wants a place that can support those jobs.
So, first of all, the actual location will need eight-million square feet. The greater region must have a good transportation network of roads, transit and air. It must have strong educational institutions, culture, diversity and vibrancy.
But, first and foremost, Amazon needs talented workers.
Paul Laudicina, a Partner and Chairman Emeritus of the management firm A.T. Kearney, and Chairman of the Global Business Policy Council said the D.C. region scores high in being a globally attractive city.
"It has cultural attractions, it has educational institutions. It has good opportunities for recreation," said Laudicina.
The most important consideration to Amazon, he said, are Millennials, now the largest and most important demographic group. They will be both employees and customers.
“Millennials now chose what city they want to live in and then go to that city and look for a job. So, the cities that are competing for this prize, of the second, H2Q, as Amazon calls is, are cities that are all trying to create the kind of infrastructure and attractiveness for Millennials. Because one you get the Millennials, the employers will come," said Laudicina.
Diversity of its people is also a plus for D.C., Montgomery County and Northern Virginia.
"Diversity and innovation tend to go hand in hand. So the diversity of the D.C. area is also an intrinsic attractiveness because it happens to be one of the characteristics of the more innovative centers and that's clearly what Amazon is looking for is a center of innovation," said Laudicina.
In Northern Virginia, there were actually four bids and officials are not sure which one Amazon may favor the most. Fairfax and Loudoun put in a bid together for a piece of property near Dulles Airport that straddles the counties' border.
Laudicina said it would be best for the D.C. region if Maryland, Virginia and D.C, worked together in the final bid process.
“Collaborating to bring the best that they can to this particular competition, I think it would really advance the D.C. area's ability to get this designation," said Laudicina.
Montgomery County, which is one of the finalists, is dealing with the recent news that Discovery Communications is leaving Silver Spring for New York.
Laudicina said this region needs to learn some lessons from that departure, and apply them in a collaboration in a new Amazon bid.
