City leaders present list of demands to Amazon

When Amazon announced that it was looking for a second city to call home, officials across the country immediately jumped at the chance to snag the new headquarters, dubbed HQ2.

But while the wooing has hit a fever pitch in cities from Boston to Phoenix, some groups are asking their cities to slow things down and make some demands of their own. Leaders of 73 civic groups across the U.S. submitted a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Tuesday, asking for transparency in how the tech giant will fit into their new city.

The letter lists some of the concerns that community organizers have, asking that Amazon pledge to maintain standards for diversity, wages, and investment in local infrastructure. It also asks that the company pay its fair share of taxes and support affordable housing in the city. Fortune reports that Amazon is interested to see which city can provide tax incentives and grants for the new facility, a preference that has drawn some side-eye from those worried that the company might not be such a boon to the local community.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"We love jobs, we love technology, and we love convenience — but what you're looking for will impact every part of our cities," reads the letter. "We built these cities, and we want to make sure they remain ours."

Cities have been working on proposals for Amazon since last month. The final deadline is Thursday.