Amazon zeroes in on Northern Virginia for second headquarters

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is reportedly nearing a decision for HQ2.REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

• Amazon is close to announcing the location of its second headquarters, known as HQ2.
• The $800 billion company is in advanced talks with Crystal City, a Northern Virginia town just outside of Washington, D.C., The Washington Post reported Saturday.
• An official announcement could be made soon after the midterm elections, according to the report.

After months of speculation into where the $800 billion Amazon will open its second headquarters, there appears to be a front-runner.

The Seattle-based Amazon is in advanced talks to open its second HQ in Northern Virginia’s Crystal City, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

Crystal City, which is in Arlington County, is just a 15-minute drive from Washington, D.C. 

The advantaced discussions include questions of “how quickly it would move employees there, which buildings it would occupy and how an announcement about the move would be made to the public,” according to the report, which cited people close to the process.

Read more: We asked Washington, DC startups whether they were fearful or enthusiastic about Amazon’s possible arrival

While Amazon has considered other cities, including Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas, the discussions with Crystal City were more detailed, the report said. 

The decision is said to be so close that the city’s top real estate developer, JBG Smith, has taken some of its buildings off the market. Officials have already started discussing how to make the announcement public sometime this month, following next week’s midterm elections.