With Niagara, Hamilton, Toronto and Buffalo announcing a desire to win the bid to be the home to a second Amazon headquarters, a Buffalo investment chief is weighing in on how much it will take to woo the online retailer to the region.
Thomas Kucharski, president and CEO of Invest Buffalo Niagara tells the Buffalo News, cities will have to pony up at least a billion dollars in economic incentives just to start the conversation.
Last week, Amazon asked cities across North America to put in bids to land its second headquarters which will bring up to 50,000 jobs with it.
But the retailer issued a list of requirements, saying it's only interested in region's with a population over a million, those with access to an international airport and mass transit.
Niagara Regional Chairman Alan Caslin says he has already approached the mayors of Hamilton and Niagara Falls, NY to put in a joint bid for the Amazon HQ2.