Amazon’s expression of interest in cities with more than 1 million people has sparked a feeding frenzy inflected with municipal pride and, inevitably, politics. | AP Photo New York City declares itself the 'logical home' of Amazon

New York City is joining the great North American pursuit of Amazon, the Seattle-based company that is casting about for a new city to host its second headquarters, a deal that it says will bring more than $5 billion in investment and up to 50,000 jobs.

New York City “is the only city in North America that can accommodate the future growth that Amazon shows every intent of achieving,” according to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Economic Development Corporation, which on Friday afternoon issued a request for ideas from the city’s business community.


The responses to the solicitation, due Sept. 25, will, in turn, inform the administration’s final response to the Amazon contest, whose deadline is Oct. 19.

New York City, says the de Blasio administration’s solicitation, is Amazon’s “logical home.”

Other North American cities aren’t so sure.

Amazon’s expression of interest in cities with more than 1 million people has sparked a feeding frenzy inflected with municipal pride and, inevitably, politics.

Chicago has expressed interest, as have Denver and Detroit.

New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates have made Amazon's beauty pageant a campaign issue, even though the Garden State isn’t home to cities of suitable size.

The bid to win Amazon’s business is expected to yield offers of bounteous subsidies from everywhere except New York City.

“We’re acknowledging New York is not going to win a race to the bottom, and our advantage is not promising a bunch of financial incentives,” said Economic Development Corporation spokesman Anthony Hogrebe.

Rather, New York City is highlighting its universities and public school system, the recent opening of Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island, and Manhattan’s booming far west side.

Amazon has said it’s looking for sites that can provide at least 500,000 square feet, and as many as 8 million square feet in a decade. It wants good transit, airport and highway access.

Some Brooklyn landlords have indicated they have some suitable sites in mind, like Industry City. The Economic Development Corporation has some publicly owned sites in mind, too, though it won't say which ones (the Brooklyn Army Terminal is an obvious candidate).

The city’s request for expressions of interest, on which it is collaborating with the state, is available here.