Grace Schneider | Courier Journal

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Louisville is submitting a proposal to land e-commerce giant Amazon's second U.S. headquarters, according to the city's economic development agency.

Since the Seattle-based internet giant announced it was expanding, several cities have thrown their name into the competition to land the site, which the company anticipates will cost $5 billion to build and could generate up to 50,000 jobs with an average annual compensation of more than $100,000.

Jessica Wethington, a spokeswoman for Louisville Forward, the city's economic development arm, said Monday they are putting together a plan to bid on the project.

She declined to say whether the city was hoping for a location within Louisville Metro or within its metropolitan statistical area. Louisville Forward pointed to the region's strong position in shipping, e-commerce, advanced manufacturing and logistics as a selling point.

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Earlier this month, an official from River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville said the business park intends to submit an application.

"We are chasing the new headquarters deal," Dustin Coffman, the director of finance and marketing for River Ridge, previously told the Courier-Journal. He said River Ridge, where Amazon already has a large distribution center, will work with area and Indiana development leaders on a proposal.

In soliciting bids for the project, Amazon said it will prioritize metro areas with more than one million people, a highly educated talent pool and a strong university system. It's encouraging interested communities to think "big" and "creatively" about possible locations.

The company has asked cities to respond by Oct. 19 and will make its final selection sometime next year.

The New York Times analyzed several potential locations, including Louisville, in light of the company's statements. The lack of a large, growing and tech-savvy workforce eliminated the city and several other communities from the news service's fantasy survival bracket.

It concluded that four likely contenders are Portland, Denver, Washington D.C. and Boston, with Denver getting the overall edge.

Skeptics also have noted recently that any Kentucky city would be knocked off Amazon's short list because of its newly enacted religious freedom law which allows student organizations at public schools and colleges to bar gays, lesbians and transgender people.

Kentucky is home to fulfillment centers that employ 10,000 people. The online retailer also unveiled plans in February to build a $1.5 billion worldwide cargo hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.