Miami gets B+ in latest comparison of potential Amazon HQ2 cities
By: Emon Reiser
August 28, 2018
In the latest comparison of the Top 20 cities that Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. has chosen as a potential home for its second headquarters, Miami did OK, but not great.
Business news TV channel CNBC, which is visiting each region on the shortlist, gave South Florida a B+ – a rating brought down mostly because of the region’s lack of technology workers.
Although economic development agencies across the tri-county area teamed up to submit the bid, CNBCfocused on a pitch that would make the massive development part of Miami Worldcenter, currently under construction in downtown Miami. Wherever the e-commerce giant’s (Nasdaq: AMZN) HQ2 ends up, it would bring a $5 billion investment and up to 50,000 high-paying jobs.
“We have one of the most diverse talent pools you’re going to find anyplace in the United States, and it’s a talent pool that is highly educated. People are coming here from all over the world,” Miami-Dade Beacon Council CEO Mike Finney told CNBC.
Also part of the pitch: South Florida’s recently improved transportation options such as Uber and Brightline, and possibly appealing to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos‘ ties to the area.
In a breakdown of the B+ rating, CNBC gave Miami an A+ for its robust population, a C+ for its talent, a B+ for location and a B+ for its “stability,” referring to its business climate.
“The broader pitch, though, is that Miami is a great place for transportation, including a gateway to Latin America. It’s got low costs, relatively friendly regulations and it has people,” said Scott Cohn, CNBC special correspondent in Miami.
Cities that received overall A’s from CNBC include Dallas and Austin, Texas.
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