Amazon headquarters decision imminent? Boston could soon make shortlist

A recent article in the Charlotte Observer about the chances of North Carolina’s largest city landing Amazon’s second headquarters carried this tantalizing factoid: “Local officials expect to hear by Dec. 1 if Charlotte is still in the running.”

It has long been known that the e-commerce giant will make a final decision in 2018 on where to site the HQ. Now there is the real possibility that Amazon could—and, in fact, already has—whittled down its choices well before that.

Might Boston be on that shortlist, if it exists? The smart money says the city has a pretty good shot among the 238 North American municipalities and regions vying for hosting duties. Other Massachusetts areas, not so much.

Once Amazon does make its final decision, things are likely to move fast, with that new headquarters opening in 2019.

• What would Amazon’s headquarters in Charlotte look like? This company has an idea. [Observer]