Report: Amazon in 'advanced talks' to build new HQ in Va.

Retail giant Amazon Inc. is in "advanced talks" to open its second headquarters in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

Amazon, based in Seattle, is apparently seriously considering an area known as Crystal City. It's a large residential and office complex in Arlington, Virginia, just south of Washington, the Post said, citing unidentified sources.

Amazon announced last year that the retail giant was looking to open a second headquarters somewhere in the U.S., bringing with it as many as 50,000 new jobs. Several state and local governments threw their hats in the ring, offering Amazon millions in tax incentives if they opened their new headquarters in their city.

Long Island leaders have expressed hope the HQ2 project would come here. The metropolitan region, including Long Island, was among 20 finalists, the online retailer announced in January.

The bid from the New York area includes New York City, Long Island and Westchester County and was assembled by the state. It includes three local building sites: Belmont Park in Elmont, the proposed Heartland mini-city development in Brentwood and Brookhaven Calabro Airport in Shirley, officials have told Newsday.

Last year, Amazon opened a warehouse in Bethpage to serve customers on Long Island and in New York City.

The Washington metropolitan area was long considered a top contender for Amazon's second headquarters. Company founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos already had several connections to the Washington area. He's the owner of The Washington Post and owns a home in the area. When the company announced a list of 20 top contenders in January, it included both Washington as well as Montgomery County, Maryland, which is just north of D.C.

Crystal City is served by a mass transit system and major highways, both qualifications that Amazon has said is required for its new headquarters as well.

With James T. Madore and Maura McDermott