Following a nationwide search, Amazon decided last November to build its second headquarters in Queens, New York.

New Jersey’s largest city, Newark, had been on the final list of 20 cities that had been in the running for HQ2, but in the end, Amazon decided to turn down what was reported to be a total of $5 billion in tax credits from the Garden State, and the issue was settled.

Except that maybe it wasn’t.

The Washington Post reports opposition from politicians and activist groups in the Empire State has convinced Amazon officials to re-examine the deal and consider other locations for its second headquarters, and the 25,000 jobs that would be created with it.

That means Newark could be back in the running.

During a visit to Avenel, Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey would welcome Amazon with open arms.

“We have reminded the folks there that we are still here," Murphy said. "Newark has got an enormous amount of momentum.”

The governor said Newark would be an excellent choice for a second Amazon headquarters because it’s a city on the rise.

“I think it’s one of the most inspiring, compelling urban stories in America, and it continues to be, and with each day the story gets stronger and better.," he said.

 

He said Amazon already has 14,000 employees in the Garden State, “so they’re an organization that we have stayed close to even outside the Newark process, and we continue to stay close.”

“We remind everybody, Amazon right through the entire alphabet, that Newark and New Jersey are open for business, period full stop, we’re open for business," Murphy said.

Murphy stressed Newark would also be a perfect fit for Amazon because it used to have a population of half a million, but today it’s down to 280,000.

“So it’s a community you can actually see clearly how you could both bring a big business and employment and residents with that, but also not do it at the expense of folks who have fought and stayed, and there aren’t many places like that in America," Murphy said.

So far there is no official word from Amazon about what it may decide to do, and which locations might be on the short list, if it does decide to look elsewhere.

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