GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A few hours after Amazon launched a search for a second headquarters location, West Michigan's economic developers decided the region should be in the running.

"There are multiple reasons we should go after this," said Tim Mroz, vice president of communications for The Right Place.

Going after a project of this scope is going to require some innovative thinking to impress Amazon since Grand Rapids will be competing with larger cities.

The Grand Rapids-based economic development group will be working with the state to coordinate a proposal, which are due next month.

Gov. Rick Snyder said on Thursday, Sept. 7, that he felt Michigan would be a good fit for the anticipated $5 billion campus the Seattle-based company wants to build somewhere in North America.

"Not only is Michigan a top-10 state for doing business and attracting 25-34-year-olds, our workforce is growing at a higher rate than the national average and we lead the region in inbound migration for those with bachelor's degrees or higher," Snyder said in a statement.

Amazon's eight-page request for proposal lays out what the corporate giant is looking for in a site: a metro area with at least 1 million people, quality higher education, access to key transportation, an educated workforce, a solid business climate and an area known for its quality of life.

The region scores high on the latter with its scores of Lake Michigan beaches and public amenities built through public-private partnerships.

Grand Rapids lacks a mass transportation system found in bigger cities, but its roadways are less clogged with traffic.

In the RFP, Amazon says it is looking for 50,000 highly-educated workers and space to build 8 million square-foot headquarters.

While West Michigan's labor force is tight, that is the case in many communities across the United States, Mroz said.

Amazon expects to build the headquarters in phases over at least a decade, which will give the region time to grow and attract the talent needed.

"I think the state of Michigan has moved in the right direction in many fronts to make doing business much more affordable," Mroz said.

The Right Place has gone after many long shots over the last 30 years. Some have paid off.

"We do this day in and day out," Mroz said. "This gives the public an inkling of what we do on a daily basis."