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Will Amazon's decision to add 125 jobs to South Side office lead to more?

PITTSBURGH — Amazon is adding jobs in Pittsburgh, although not as many as the city eventually hopes to see.

City leaders are now talking more about the decision saying it might just lead to something bigger.

Amazon and community leaders celebrated the tech giant’s latest expansion during a news conference Thursday at its South Side headquarters. And they can't hide their excitement for what this could mean for Pittsburgh's pursuit of a much bigger prize.

The retail giant is more than doubling the current staff at its Pittsburgh Tech Hub in Southside Works, adding 125 positions.

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“We need better employment numbers for the city and for the region,” said resident Leslie Carsman. “Anything that helps people get good jobs is a good thing."

"I think black and gold is a good color for Amazon and for Pittsburgh," said Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County executive. "We want to keep that momentum going."

Pittsburgh is a finalist for Amazon’s second headquarters, which is expected to bring 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in investment to the chosen city, but the company was very clear in saying this move is totally unrelated to the second headquarters.

"Many of us are hopeful that the relationship between Pittsburgh and Amazon will continue to grow, wink, wink," said Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pittsburgh.

The move, combined with a fulfillment center in the West End, gives Amazon a growing presence in the city.

“Those that would try to read the tea leaves, like what happened in Boston a few months ago, and say they're already moving into Pittsburgh, they've already made up their mind ... or those that would say here's the consolation prize, they've made it very clear to us.” said Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto. "Hopefully, we'll see over 1,000 employees within the city of Pittsburgh by the end of this year. With the process of HQ2, they're keeping it tight, even with us."

While there’s been a lot of speculation about what this means for Pittsburgh’s bid to become the site of Amazon's second headquarters, the company put those rumors to bed.

An Amazon spokeswoman told Channel 11, "Today's announcement of the expansion of our Tech Hub in Pittsburgh is part of our ongoing job creation efforts and unrelated to our search for HQ2."

"It'll be good for the city. You know they're going to get a little tax money out of it, but is it going to be good for the individuals that work it,” said resident Donald Cooper. “If they're not making a livable wage, they can keep those jobs. We have enough people here not paying."

The employees that already call Pittsburgh home are happy to be growing their operation, even if starting on a small scale.

"The secret's out about how great Pittsburgh is as a technology marketplace and it's great to be here," said Bill Kaper, general manager of Amazon's Pittsburgh office

An announcement on the winning city for Amazon HQ2 is expected to come sometime this year.