Peduto touts Pittsburgh flexibility in bid for Amazon headquarters

Whether it's Downtown with other businesses nearby or in an area they build up as their own, Pittsburgh’s mayor said the city plans on giving Amazon plenty of options in its bid, something he and the county executive believe is unique to Pittsburgh.

On Amazon's website, there is no shortage of options for consumers, and Bill Peduto hopes the company will see a similar symmetry in Pittsburgh's bid to become Amazon’s second headquarters.

“What we don't want to do is limit it or choose,” he said. “We want to be able to provide options to Amazon.”

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Peduto says there is a long list of sites that could interest Amazon, extending from Hazelwood up the Allegheny River.

But most of those properties aren't owned by the city, requiring partnerships and land agreements to be in place before the mid-October deadline.

“We want to do it in a very open process. There's been hundreds of people that have reached out that want to help with this process,” he said. “We want to make sure their voices are heard, but also understand we have three weeks to get this thing done.”

City and county leaders are now working around the clock to put the best possible bid forward, one they believe will put Pittsburgh in a strong position to be Amazon's second home.

“We are very pressed for time but also I believe have some options that other cities simply don't have,” he said.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald tells me the city's bid will include significant tax incentives.

It's unclear when the retail giant will make a decision or narrow its list to potential finalists.

Cox Media Group