Buffalo meets another important condition set by Amazon: the ability to create an urban or downtown campus.

In Seattle, its headquarters takes up 8.1 million-square-feet in 33 buildings that employ 40,000 or so employees.

“In Buffalo, Amazon could have a Seattle-sized downtown footprint at a cut-rate price, compared to most other places in the running,’’ McMahon said.

But he believes other communities would beat out Buffalo when it comes to major universities, especially with access to a large high-tech talent pool. Amazon, based on its RFP, would likely select Toronto or Boston over Buffalo, he said.

The Amazon RFP also gives “important consideration” to communities with an international airport and “daily direct” flights to Seattle, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

That presents challenges for Buffalo. Despite the fact that the local airport contains the word “international” in its name, it now offers only once-a-week seasonal flights from mid-February to May to Cancun and Punta Cana.

Nonetheless, local political and business leaders insist they are up for the challenge.