Amazon HQ2 bid

[Mentallect]

Originally Posted by GTAlum

That article states: One person who spoke with Business Insider, a lobbyist, said that the Thursday-night event was a likely time for the announcement to be made

Bezos just completed his speech at the Economic Club of Washington tonight (the Thursday mentioned in that article you linked) and he only stated that the HQ2 winner would be announced by the end of the year...

Looks like another article based on no real evidence besides speculation..

You gloss over the many insinuations, clues, facts, predictive hints and signs.

[PremierAtlanta]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

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[paytonc]

Crystal City owner JBG Smith's CEO preceded Bezos at the podium tonight, talking about preserving affordable housing. Earlier today, news broke that JBGS tabled a plan to convert a vacant 250K sq ft Crystal City office tower into apartments. (The renovation and expansion of the building's ground floor retail will proceed.) What's unusual is that they're swimming in other offices: JBGS also owns a vacant 401K sq ft tower across the street, another 150K available at the other end of the block, and as I mentioned they own vacant land and redevelopment sites nearby for which there are filed plans for 10+ million square feet of offices. It's especially weird because they've also seen strong absorption at a huge new apartment tower a few blocks west, probably helps that there's a Whole Foods inside. Golly gee, what a mystery.

(For those of you who bring up costs: asking rents for new-build Atlanta office buildings are around $35/foot. Arlington is absolutely competitive: new office buildings ask around $40, and existing buildings around $30.)

FWIW, Amazon already has multiple offices in this region that house multiple departments. There's a Capitol Hill office within DC, for the public policy (and economic development) group. There's a fairly large office in Ballston (north Arlington), which has some technical but mostly marketing/sales. There's the big AWS office in far suburban Herndon, and of course further out the warehouses and dozens of data centers.

There are also many local corporate headquarters that have little to do with the federal government. Mars candies is based here because Forrest Mars liked to ride horses in the Virginia countryside. Marriott is based here because J.W. got sent here on his mission trip. Arlington's largest global corporate HQ is AES, which generates electricity in 15 countries (primarily in South America) but was founded by some guys who met at the Department of Energy. German grocer Lidl set up its US headquarters in Crystal City, and so did the old US Airways (pre-America West). AWS isn't in Herndon because of government contracts, it's there because AOL was founded there and left the most robust fiber optic infrastructure in the world.

Phew, once this is all over, I believe I am overdue for a trip to Swinging Richard's.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

I agree with the other guy who said that being in DC for lobbying is meaningless, if it were such an important factor than you would see every major company setting up their headquarters in DC. Lobbying doesn't take a 50,000 employee HQ to accomplish, a satellite office specifically geared toward that goal can much better accomplish that.

[Mentallect]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeanuts

I agree with the other guy who said that being in DC for lobbying is meaningless, if it were such an important factor than you would see every major company setting up their headquarters in DC. Lobbying doesn't take a 50,000 employee HQ to accomplish, a satellite office specifically geared toward that goal can much better accomplish that.

America's economic power centers have historically always been on the coasts, starting with NYC. Companies also migrate and expand in regions with top talent, which again has always been on coasts and in urban centers. Amazon has unique needs: Talent, protection from regulation, proximity to power, and he wants to have his coming out party (my assumption).

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by PremierAtlanta

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[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

You gloss over the many insinuations, clues, facts, predictive hints and signs.

I am curious what you think are the insinuations, clues, facts, predictive hints and signs from Jeff Bezos keynote speech before the Economic Club of DC? I have read several sites who covered the event and Bezos only addressed the topic once and he only said the decision would be made by the end of the year.

Do you agree or disagree - if Amazon was going to select the DC region for HQ2 this week would have been the perfect time considering Bezos and the Board were in town?

[wonshirim]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

I am curious what you think are the insinuations, clues, facts, predictive hints and signs from Jeff Bezos keynote speech before the Economic Club of DC? I have read several sites who covered the event and Bezos only addressed the topic once and he only said the decision would be made by the end of the year.

Do you agree or disagree - if Amazon was going to select the DC region for HQ2 this week would have been the perfect time considering Bezos and the Board were in town?

Some body language reading: at the end of the speech, when David Rubenstein joked about the DC crowd looking forward to Jeff Bezos spending more time in the capital next year, Jeff Bezos gave an uneasy smile. I agree this week was the best time to make an announcement if DC were to win.

[Mentallect]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

I am curious what you think are the insinuations, clues, facts, predictive hints and signs from Jeff Bezos keynote speech before the Economic Club of DC? I have read several sites who covered the event and Bezos only addressed the topic once and he only said the decision would be made by the end of the year.

Do you agree or disagree - if Amazon was going to select the DC region for HQ2 this week would have been the perfect time consider Bezos and the Board were in town?

Bezos is intent on drawing out the last vestiges of incentives from interested locations, so waiting benefits him more than an announcement does. Second, its highly unlikely Bezos meets with the 3 most powerful individuals in the region only to later tell them he chose another area for HQ2. Negotiations are also very complex and timely.

On another note, only a few residents in the region are aware Amazon is considering placing its HQ2 here. There is no frenzy for a decision to be made. 66% of me wish AMZN went to ATL. I just do not read that in the tea leaves. But DC area residents are not overly excited by HQ2. Being in the capital region with the White House, Pentagon, etc. is prestigious enough.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

I am curious what you think are the insinuations, clues, facts, predictive hints and signs from Jeff Bezos keynote speech before the Economic Club of DC? I have read several sites who covered the event and Bezos only addressed the topic once and he only said the decision would be made by the end of the year.

Do you agree or disagree - if Amazon was going to select the DC region for HQ2 this week would have been the perfect time considering Bezos and the Board were in town?

It was *an* opportunity, but there are more ways than that to skin a cat.

When GE announced the relocation of their HQ, it was without a lot of Pomp and Circumstance. They simply issued a press statement.

[Triptychtwo]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

Bezos is intent on drawing out the last vestiges of incentives from interested locations, so waiting benefits him more than an announcement does. Second, its highly unlikely Bezos meets with the 3 most powerful individuals in the region only to later tell them he chose another area for HQ2. Negotiations are also very complex and timely.

On another note, only a few residents in the region are aware Amazon is considering placing its HQ2 here. There is no frenzy for a decision to be made. 66% of me wish AMZN went to ATL. I just do not read that in the tea leaves. But DC area residents are not overly excited by HQ2. Being in the capital region with the White House, Pentagon, etc. is prestigious enough.

At this point, I wished they would have announced for DC yesterday to so this little pompous racist MF would crawl back into his little hole and go away for good.

[Mentallect]

Originally Posted by Triptychtwo

At this point, I wished they would have announced for DC yesterday to so this little pompous racist MF would crawl back into his little hole and go away for good.

Your comment is not accurate. I am not racist, nor short. Keep to the topic.

[Triptychtwo]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

Your comment is not accurate. I am not racist, nor short. Keep to the topic.

Right.

Originally Posted by Mentallect

A sad fact is ATL has too many blacks, and its an open secret tech companies want white males and Asians who are generally racists, and prefer to live and work around others like them exclusively. We all know this.

Go away.

[skyscraperpage17]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if Bezos himself has made any visit to Atlanta or has had any discussions with city /state leaders since the start of HQ2?

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

Bezos is intent on drawing out the last vestiges of incentives from interested locations, so waiting benefits him more than an announcement does. Second, its highly unlikely Bezos meets with the 3 most powerful individuals in the region only to later tell them he chose another area for HQ2. Negotiations are also very complex and timely.

On another note, only a few residents in the region are aware Amazon is considering placing its HQ2 here. There is no frenzy for a decision to be made. 66% of me wish AMZN went to ATL. I just do not read that in the tea leaves. But DC area residents are not overly excited by HQ2. Being in the capital region with the White House, Pentagon, etc. is prestigious enough.

The first part of your response is where you are gravely mistaken. Bezos and the Board are not concerned about the governing bodies from MD, DC and/or VA. Bezos and the Board are 100% focused on limiting the impact of their HQ2 decision on consumer sentiment. The bottom line is regardless of how egregious MD, DC and/or VA feel they were misled during the HQ2 process, anyone of these areas would grab their ankles anytime in the future if Amazon dangles jobs in their faces again. That's a fact jack!

My Theory
Again, I believe Bezos and the Board are 100% focused on limiting the impact of their HQ2 decision on consumer sentiment. By making this whole shit show so public they have been able to gauge public sentiment over the course of the last year. As you said, the majority of the people in the DC area don't want HQ2 and a recent Elon University survey confirmed your opinion. Guess what city wants HQ2 most according their survey? ATLANTA.

Honestly it boggles my mind how anyone seeing what is occurring in the Gulch with CIM Group, City Council, Mayor and Governor and can not connect it to HQ2.

What is also proves (TO ME) is how easily people are influenced by Media and not by the Data. It is the same reason Trump scares the shit out of me. As confirmed yesterday when independent research showed 3000 people died in Puerto Rico from hurricane Maria. Trump comes out and said it was fake news and less then 20 people died. I then glanced at all the Conservative media sites and forums and all of the Trumpanzes were repeating his talking points.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

Your comment is not accurate. I am not racist, nor short. Keep to the topic.

I agree nothing Mentallect has ever said here is racist - controversial - YES - racist - NO!

[skyscraperpage17]

So the ABC has confirmed the mystery company pushing hard for The Gulch incentive package is in fact Norfolk Southern.

And yes, this proves *THEIR* move is a done deal, which, while not Amazon HQ2, is still good news.

Clock ticking on $100 million land deal driving Gulch project

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news...ng-on-100-million-land-deal-driving.html

"Norfolk Southern Corp. is once again emerging as a key driver in a potentially historic deal to redevelop downtown Atlanta’s “Gulch.”

In a presentation before city economic development officials, the railroad giant was said to be part of negotiations for a more than $100 million sale of Gulch property to Los Angeles-based CIM Group, which is pitching an up-to $5 billion redevelopment of the old downtown rail yard where trains from across the South once converged.

The clock is ticking on those negotiations, said Ralph Dickerson, part of a team working on a land deal with CIM on behalf of the city.

Norfolk Southern is “driving the schedule,” Dickerson said in a meeting with Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm. The railroad company is likely aiming to complete the transaction by the end of September and ahead of third quarter earnings, he said.

His comments come as Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is urging city council members to approve legislation that frees up to $1.75 billion in public financing to support the redevelopment."

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Triptychtwo

At this point, I wished they would have announced for DC yesterday to so this little pompous racist MF would crawl back into his little hole and go away for good.

Ah shoot, I didn't occur to me that I had responded to *IT* earlier.

Thanks for posting this and reminding me.

[Triptychtwo]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

Norfolk Southern is “driving the schedule,” Dickerson said in a meeting with Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm. The railroad company is likely aiming to complete the transaction by the end of September and ahead of third quarter earnings, he said.

His comments come as Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is urging city council members to approve legislation that frees up to $1.75 billion in public financing to support the redevelopment."

They are driving the schedule because they want to sell the land....not get incentives for moving their HQ here.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

So the ABC has confirmed the mystery company pushing hard for The Gulch incentive package is in fact Norfolk Southern.

And yes, this proves *THEIR* move is a done deal, which, while not Amazon HQ2, is still good news.

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news...ng-on-100-million-land-deal-driving.html

"Norfolk Southern Corp. is once again emerging as a key driver in a potentially historic deal to redevelop downtown Atlanta’s “Gulch.”

In a presentation before city economic development officials, the railroad giant was said to be part of negotiations for a more than $100 million sale of Gulch property to Los Angeles-based CIM Group, which is pitching an up-to $5 billion redevelopment of the old downtown rail yard where trains from across the South once converged.

The clock is ticking on those negotiations, said Ralph Dickerson, part of a team working on a land deal with CIM on behalf of the city.

Norfolk Southern is “driving the schedule,” Dickerson said in a meeting with Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm. The railroad company is likely aiming to complete the transaction by the end of September and ahead of third quarter earnings, he said.

His comments come as Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is urging city council members to approve legislation that frees up to $1.75 billion in public financing to support the redevelopment."

With all do respect S-17 - that is not what this article is saying. It is saying that Norfolk Southern has $100 million worth of property in the Gulch that CIM Group needs to purchase in order to have the acreage they need for the development.

Reading between the lines
I suspect the Governor and Mayor told Norfolk Southern if our State and City have to pony up Billions in incentives to lure HQ2, you have to commit to moving your HQ from Norfolk, VA as well. I guarantee when this all shakes out, this is what happened!