I don't think that many of you are reading the actual PDF RFP from Amazon, PLEASE READ THE RFP HERE:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/Anything/test/images/usa/RFP_3._V516043504_.pdf
Key Needs FROM AMAZON:
In choosing the location for HQ2, Amazon has a preference for:
Metropolitan areas with more than one million people
A stable and business-friendly environment
Urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent
Communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options
2.
A greenfield site of approximately 100 acres certified or pad ready, with utility infrastructure
in place. The sites do not have to be contiguous, but should be in proximity to each other to
foster a sense of place and be pedestrian-friendly.
(Where on earth are you going to find 100 acres in NYC???? Or Philly for that matter)
Capital Investment: The Project could be over $5 billion in capital investment over the initial 15-17
years of the Project. Please note the capital investment required to acquire and retrofit an existing
building is dependent upon the condition and nature of that building. As such, the following capital
investment estimates will vary depending upon site requirements and actual construction costs,
particularly with respect to an existing building.
Building Phase Estimated Capital Investment
Phase I Building (500,000-1,000,000 sf) $300,000,000-$600,000,000
Phase II Building (1,000,000-2,000,000 sf) $600,000,000-$1,260,000,000
Phase III Building (2,000,000-3,000,000 sf) $1,260,000,000-$1,985,000,000
(So, Amazon is looking for a complex that will
cost them around $5 billion to buy around 100 acres of land and build 8 million square feet of multiple buildings, in a campus like setting. Remind me where in NYC this is possible?)
Capital and Operating Costs – A stable and
business-friendly environment and tax structure will be high-priority considerations for the Project. Incentives offered by the state/province and local communities to offset initial capital outlay and ongoing operational costs will be significant factors in the decision-making process.
(No way can NYC or Chicago meet the business and tax friendly requirement. They are the antithesis of business and tax friendliness)
Logistics – Personnel travel and logistics needs, both from population centers to the Project site, as well as between company facilities, are critically important. As such, travel time to a major highway corridor and arterial roadway capacity potential are key factors. The highway corridors must provide direct access to significant population centers with eligible employment pools.
Travel time to an international airport with daily direct flights to Seattle, New York, San Francisco/Bay Area, and Washington, D.C. is also an important consideration.
(Again, it seems these metros might not be in the running based off of this. Denver isn't on here, but its airport lags heavily in international connections compared to places like Chicago and Dallas.)
Time to Operations – The Project requires an expeditious timetable for the location decision and the commencement of construction. Given this, sites with the requisite access, utility infrastructure, and zoning are critical. Please outline the permitting process and estimated timetable to initiate Phase I of our operations.
(Just the planning stage of a project like this in NYC or Chicago, and probably Philly, would take ages. Then you've got construction which will be unionized and take another lifetime).
My opinions are in parentheses, but the rest is directly from Amazon. It's clear that they are not looking for an NYC type environment for many reasons, and there would be no way they could accomplish this for $5 billion in NYC.
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