The D.C. region is widely seen as a contender for landing Amazon HQ2, but some developers and influential regional figures think two of the area’s biggest issues — a struggling Metro system and a high cost of living— could put the District at a disadvantage.
Developer Bob Buchanan, who heads a coalition of D.C.-area business leaders called the 2030 Group, predicts Amazon will place at least one D.C.-area site among its finalists. But he expects the tech giant will come to the region with some concerns that it wants to see addressed.
“Amazon might say to the Washington area, ‘We’ve got a couple sites in mind, but before we decide on them, you tell us what you’re doing about Metro first and then tell us how the housing affordability is going to work if we go to this site or that site,'” Buchanan said.
On funding Metro, he said he thinks the prospect of competing for Amazon could help the region come together to find a permanent solution, something it has long struggled to do. The nation’s third-busiest subway system still does not have a dedicated funding source, and Buchanan does not think Amazon would pick D.C. without strong assurances.
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