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Still In The Running: Denver A Finalist For Amazon HQ2

DENVER (CBS4) - Amazon has narrowed the list of cities for its second headquarters, and Denver is among the 20 cities that are being considered.

map
(credit: Amazon)

The list also includes New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Austin, Atlanta, Miami, and several other large cities.

In November, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation unveiled the proposal it sent to Amazon to be the HQ2 site. It highlighted the Mile High City's talented workforce, high quality of life and accessibility, as well as the potential for growth on Colorado's Front Range. The Metro Denver EDC didn't reveal exactly which location or locations it pitched for the headquarters.

On Thursday, the CEO of Metro Denver EDC shared more details about the incentives Denver is offering with its pitch.

"Probably the best incentive is that we have have the second most highly educated workforce in the United States," said J.J. Ament. "We have great, talented workers available to take jobs right now, and we have a fabulous higher education system so we're building the talent pipeline into the future."

Denver Skyline Generic
(credit: CBS)

If Denver's proposal winds up being chosen, Amazon could potentially bring 50,000 new high-paying jobs to Colorado. The tech giant says their headquarters in Seattle has had a dramatic effect on that city's economy since it was built eight years ago.

Gov. John Hickenlooper also released a statement on Thursday about being a finalist, saying in part "Colorado is one of the most business-friendly states in America and we believe the Denver region would be a great choice for Amazon."

A total of 238 cities placed bids from across North America.

Amazon will now move on to the next phase of their process by requesting more information from the remaining locations.

Amazon Headquarters
Amazon corporate headquarters in Seattle (credit: David Ryder/Getty Images)

The final decision is expected later this year, according to a special section of Amazon.com.

The full list of finalists is as follows:

- Atlanta
- Austin
- Boston
- Chicago
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Indianapolis
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- Montgomery County, Maryland
- Nashville
- Newark, New Jersey
- New York City
- Northern Virginia
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Raleigh
- Toronto
- Washington D.C.

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