CoStar Group, Inc, a commercial real
estate information and marketing company, announced on Monday that it
has selected Richmond, Virginia for a new research operations
headquarters.
According to the Charlotte
Business Journal, CoStar had whittled down its list of
prospective cities to Richmond and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Losing to Richmond means a loss of 730
jobs and an estimated $8.2 million in initial investment to
Charlotte.
“The primary reason they chose
Richmond over Charlotte was HB2,” said David Dorsch, whose firm was
working with CoStar in its real estate search.
House Bill 2 (HB2) is the controversial
law signed in March by Republican Governor Pat McCrory that blocks
cities and municipalities from enacting LGBT protections and
prohibits transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice
in government buildings and public schools.
“This would come on the heels of a
growing list of companies that have not moved to Charlotte as a
result of HB2,” Dorsch added.
McCrory has defended the law, saying it
is needed to protect people's privacy.
Equality NC Executive Director Chris
Sgro called the loss of jobs a “travesty” for North Carolina.
“HB2 puts LGBT people at risk for
discrimination and violence and it's hurting all North Carolinians
every day,” Sgro
said. “Where are Pat McCrory's priorities? 200 days after he
signed this bill, he still refuses to step up and fix the mess he
made of our state. Shame on him for putting his politics above our
economy.”