Business leaders consider Miami just making the Amazon HQ2 cut a win

Miami officials and business leaders are celebrating just making the top-20 cut of cities that might host Amazon’s second headquarters, even if Amazon HQ2 doesn’t ultimately pan out. The Miami Herald’s Douglas Hanks points out that being in consideration at all is a chance to highlight Miami’s strengths (diversity, Florida’s lack of an income tax, multi-lingual skills, not to mention sunny weather) and to retire some dated national stereotypes.

“This shows we’re not just a fun-in-the-sun city,” executive director of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority Alyce Robertson told the Herald. “We move from our ‘vacation spot’ designation and into ‘international business capital.’ ”

Amazon will consider multiple real estate sites and incentives submitted jointly by the Beacon Council of Miami-Dade County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County.

• Why Miami could still be a winner even if it loses the Amazon headquarters [Miami Herald]
• Miami mayor says three sites in city in play for Amazon HQ2 [SFBJ]
• Miami is still in the running for Amazon’s new headquarters [Curbed Miami]