Amazon HQ2 thread - Page 48

BrownTown · #**941** Posted **Oct 27, 2017, 9:12 PM**

The funny thing is I can't recall when I've ever used Amazon in my whole life. I'm sure I have since they own a lot of other businesses and I don't know their whole web of ownership, but i've never bought anything on Amazon or used Amazon Prime Video or gone to Whole Foods or anything like that. WallMart sells far more than Amazon for instance. I'm not really sure where people think they have the room to expand massively. Yes, they have the room to increase profits massively by using monopoly power, but if they do the government will break them up.

10023 · #**942** Posted **Oct 27, 2017, 9:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

I think that Bezos will want the second HQ on the east coast.

I think the top contenders are:

NY (Bezos has an apartment there; financial capital of the world; unparalleled access to Europe and Middle East; lots of tech talent, including, Columbia and the new Tech Center). Amazon bought the building on 34th St and is building a huge new facility on SI. This is tailor-made for NY.

Boston (great tech talent)

Atlanta, Dallas, and Chicago will offer enormous incentives.

I disageee. NY and Boston have enormous disadvantages in terms of cost. The cost of housing in Seattle is one of the primary reasons for the creation of a second HQ, if not the primary reason.

skyscraperpage17 · #**943** Posted **Oct 27, 2017, 10:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I already made it clear in the previous post, but to state it again:

Having a whole lot of suburbs as one giant entity versus older entities that haven't annexed many of their suburbs.

I disagree.

IMO, having development spread across 100-odd municipalities is sprawl, whereas having everything located in one central municipality is not.

James Bond Agent 007 · #**944** Posted **Oct 27, 2017, 10:36 PM**

I just deleted several posts. If you have the slightest urge to mention anything to do with political ideology or national politics, stifle the urge. The next time some posts need to get deleted, this thread will get closed, again.

BVictor1 · #**945** Posted **Oct 27, 2017, 10:55 PM**

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/c...zon-stadium-ryan-ori-20171027-story.html

Amazon Stadium? Chicago developer hopes it's the ticket to HQ2

Ryan OriContact Reporter
Chicago Tribune

September 27, 2017

Quote:

A Chicago developer is offering a unique perk in the all-out competition to win Amazon’s second headquarters: Amazon Stadium.

Sterling Bay’s proposal to bring as many as 50,000 Amazon headquarters workers to its Lincoln Yards development includes the potential for a sports and concert venue near the Chicago River.

The developer describes preliminary plans for “a world-class sports and entertainment stadium” in the materials obtained by the Tribune.

“Sterling Bay is currently engaged in active discussions with the city of Chicago, professional sports leagues and international entertainment production companies to partner on the development and operations of this venue,” Sterling Bay said in its Amazon proposal. In renderings and a video sent to Amazon, the stadium is shown along the west, or Bucktown, side of the river.

Chicago and state officials submitted a formal bid for Amazon’s HQ2 on Oct. 16 that includes 10 potential sites, including Sterling Bay’s 70-plus-acre site along the river near Lincoln Park and Bucktown.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/c...on-stadium-ryan-ori-20171027-story.html#

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/94988453-132.html

DJM19 · #**946** Posted **Oct 27, 2017, 11:06 PM**

If they do decide it’s ok to open HQ2 in the west coast, Irvine has a great offer: Irvine Co pays for everything.

James Bond Agent 007 · #**947** Posted **Oct 27, 2017, 11:09 PM**

One industry that has already made a windfall from this Amazon HQ2 thing is graphic artists.

Jonesy55 · #**948** Posted **Oct 27, 2017, 11:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Centropolis

amazon is becoming too powerful in my opinion. it will be interesting to see what kind of effects this has, but personally, i don't really like that a single corporations AI is compiling a profile of me sort of against my will, that it can do lord knows what, with. i'm done with whole foods, too.

There's always Alibaba, I started using them recently, incredible how you can get a pack of 12 table tennis balls for £0.75 (less than $1) including postage all the way from China. They did take a couple of weeks to arrive but hey, I wasn't desperate to get those ping-pong balls with one hour delivery anyway.

Ant131531 · #**949** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 12:54 AM**

Amazon is becoming the Online Walmart except Amazon will become global.

10023 · #**950** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 1:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

I disagree.

IMO, having development spread across 100-odd municipalities is sprawl, whereas having everything located in one central municipality is not.

Not when the "central municipality" spans 600+ miles. Come on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrownTown

The funny thing is I can't recall when I've ever used Amazon in my whole life. I'm sure I have since they own a lot of other businesses and I don't know their whole web of ownership, but i've never bought anything on Amazon or used Amazon Prime Video or gone to Whole Foods or anything like that. WallMart sells far more than Amazon for instance. I'm not really sure where people think they have the room to expand massively. Yes, they have the room to increase profits massively by using monopoly power, but if they do the government will break them up.

You are in the minority, and you're also missing the point about Amazon.

BrownTown · #**951** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 2:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

You are in the minority, and you're also missing the point about Amazon.

What exactly is the point then?

The North One · #**952** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 2:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Amazon is becoming the Online Walmart except Amazon will become global.

Global but not without competitors, Alibaba already totally dominates the east and they have much better growth potential, will probably surpass Amazon very soon.

LosAngelesSportsFan · #**953** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 3:17 AM**

My sources tell me Boston is the front runner

JustSomeGuyWho · #**954** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 3:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The North One

Global but not without competitors, Alibaba already totally dominates the east and they have much better growth potential, will probably surpass Amazon very soon.

In terms of retail, you might be right given the size of the market in China and the continued growth of the middle class; ultimately I think India will be key for Amazon; a country they've only recently entered and grown substantially.

skyscraperpage17 · #**955** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 12:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

Not when the "central municipality" spans 600+ miles. Come on.

That's controlled expansion, as everything being managed by one government entity which leads to less bureaucracy and a much easier time getting things done.

On the flip side, the other extreme is having to deal with "too many cooks" in cities such as Atlanta and Detroit because everyone wants to have their say in what gets done or fight over where investment should happen, thus nothing important gets accomplished (such as building extensive mass transit).

the urban politician · #**956** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 1:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

I disagree.

IMO, having development spread across 100-odd municipalities is sprawl, whereas having everything located in one central municipality is not.

Well we definitely disagree then.

To me, sprawl is less about the political entity that oversees municipalities (whether 1 or 100) and more about land use, layouts, density, auto-versus pedestrian orientation, etc.

themaguffin · #**957** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 2:20 PM**

Quote:

What exactly is the point then?

What is your point of noting having never used Amazon? Or purchased from Whole Foods which they have owned for all of a minute? What is the point?

I have never lived in a China, so I guess not many people do.

Mister F · #**958** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 2:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Well we definitely disagree then.

To me, sprawl is less about the political entity that oversees municipalities (whether 1 or 100) and more about land use, layouts, density, auto-versus pedestrian orientation, etc.

Agreed. "Controlled expansion" by one municipality is typically no less sprawling than metro areas with many municipalities. In Canada's bigger metro areas the ones with essentially a single municipaly are much more spread out than the ones with a bunch of different ones.

Domer2019 · #**959** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 2:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Amazon Stadium? Chicago developer hopes it's the ticket to HQ2

*COUGH*

https://twitter.com/NBCSChicagoFire/status/923372403379621888

Quote:

Announced attendance for tonight’s Fire finale: 11,647

i.e. Their attendance was almost half capacity. For a playoff game. As the 3rd place team in their conference. Because it was a Wednesday and nobody wants to take a road trip. Consider Lincoln Yards my choice site for Amazon if this is the result.

ardecila · #**960** Posted **Oct 28, 2017, 2:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Well we definitely disagree then.

To me, sprawl is less about the political entity that oversees municipalities (whether 1 or 100) and more about land use, layouts, density, auto-versus pedestrian orientation, etc.

I've speculated that the Washington DC region has been able to densify their suburbs precisely because power is concentrated at the county level in both Virginia and Maryland - Montgomery, PG, Arlington, and Fairfax. County governments have less incentive to listen to individual neighbor complaints.

But they're only able to do this because there is a vague, broad political consensus around public transportation and TOD - and in Maryland, there are even greenbelt laws to preserve prime farmland from development.

In a region like Houston, the consensus is around continual sprawl development and highway expansion, but the centralization of government in City of Houston/Harris County also makes this easier politically. Compare this to Chicago, where the region is split over seven counties and each county government is relatively weak compared to municipal governments.

A fragmented government is going to be dysfunctional and ineffective, regardless of whether the goal is perfect urbanism or perfect sprawl.