Amazon HQ2 thread

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by 10023

Aren’t we all pretty sure it’s DC at this point?

No.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by initiald

Looks like Apple has decided on Raleigh for their HQ2 with up to 10,000 jobs - now Amazon is at the plate. Would be nice if we could get Amazon HQ2 as well!

There was an article that came out suggesting that NoVA was under serious consideration for the Apple office as well...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washing...0-5566-11e8-abd8-265bd07a9859_story.html

[dubu]

If it's taking this long then it must be over on the east coast. There embarrist that they are following apple because they love apple.

[initiald]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

There was an article that came out suggesting that NoVA was under serious consideration for the Apple office as well...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washing...0-5566-11e8-abd8-265bd07a9859_story.html

Everything I've read says they are just hammering out the details for the Raleigh location for Apple HQ2: https://qz.com/1280963/apples-new-campus-might-be-in-raleigh-north-carolina/

[dimondpark]

Originally Posted by initiald

Looks like Apple has decided on Raleigh for their HQ2 with up to 10,000 jobs - now Amazon is at the plate. Would be nice if we could get Amazon HQ2 as well!

It isnt going to be a headquarters.

[initiald]

Originally Posted by dimondpark

It isnt going to be a headquarters.

Yeah, not technically a HQ2 even though a lot of orgs are calling it that. More of an R&D center taking advantage of all the nearby research universities. Apple, Facebook, and Google already all have data centers in NC.

[twister244]

I think the situation is no city, or proposed site is going to be 100% perfect in Amazon's eyes. We can probably boil the list down to a top 5 or so of where HQ2 will locate. But.... at the end of the day, it's really what Amazon wants. None of us really know exactly how they are weighting various aspects of the proposal process. I think DC has a very good shot, and I would definitely put them in a "top 5" for sure. However, there are plenty of other locations on the list that are right up there with DC imo.

I do feel though we are probably going to start hearing about more proposed sites getting axed over the coming days. If Amazon let Arlington TX know, they are probably going to let other sites know. I don't know if they are dropping cities, or just sites.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by twister244

I think the situation is no city, or proposed site is going to be 100% perfect in Amazon's eyes. We can probably boil the list down to a top 5 or so of where HQ2 will locate. But.... at the end of the day, it's really what Amazon wants. None of us really know exactly how they are weighting various aspects of the proposal process. I think DC has a very good shot, and I would definitely put them in a "top 5" for sure. However, there are plenty of other locations on the list that are right up there with DC imo.

I do feel though we are probably going to start hearing about more proposed sites getting axed over the coming days. If Amazon let Arlington TX know, they are probably going to let other sites know. I don't know if they are dropping cities, or just sites.

It really was a top 3 at most 5 cities. And LA and Toronto are not one of them.


https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/05...hq-but-that-doesnt-count-tax-breaks.html



Resonance, with offices in Vancouver and New York, used its data on cities and Amazon’s “request for proposal” to rank which of the 20 shortlisted cities best meet the electronic retailing giant’s criteria for a new hub with up to 50,000 employees and billions of dollars of potential investments


its analysis pegged New York City as best hitting most of Amazon’s marks. The company was surprised that Toronto, the only shortlisted Canadian city, nabbed the number two spot in the study, ahead of Chicago, Northern Virginia and Los Angeles.

The bad news for Toronto is that, when Fair factored in other considerations, including the city not offering tax breaks and Amazon planning a major expansion of its other Canadian office, in Vancouver, Toronto fell off the leader board. New York also fell down the list because of its scarcity of suitable real estate.


Resonance is predicting Chicago, Northern Virginia, and L.A. as the most likely sites for Amazon’s “HQ2”, giving Boston an outside shot.


...

[nomarandlee]

As long as transit, mature urban fabric yet space in the core, and reasonable cost of living are considered and Amazon holds true to its word on highly prizing those factors I only see two real options there.

Philly and Chicago.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

As long as transit, mature urban fabric yet space in the core, and reasonable cost of living are considered and Amazon holds true to its word on highly prizing those factors I only see two real options there.

Philly and Chicago.

Mostly true. IMHO though the recent spat with Seattle suggests maybe Amazon would like to move to a smaller metro. The danger with moving to Philly or Chicago is basically that Amazon would be a major player, but not be able to control city government on its own, meaning shit like the Seattle head tax could still pass. Bottom line is if Amazon wants a "company town" situation, it still very well might pick a smaller city.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by bnk

It really was a top 3 at most 5 cities. And LA and Toronto are not one of them.


https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/05...hq-but-that-doesnt-count-tax-breaks.html



Resonance, with offices in Vancouver and New York, used its data on cities and Amazon’s “request for proposal” to rank which of the 20 shortlisted cities best meet the electronic retailing giant’s criteria for a new hub with up to 50,000 employees and billions of dollars of potential investments


its analysis pegged New York City as best hitting most of Amazon’s marks. The company was surprised that Toronto, the only shortlisted Canadian city, nabbed the number two spot in the study, ahead of Chicago, Northern Virginia and Los Angeles.

The bad news for Toronto is that, when Fair factored in other considerations, including the city not offering tax breaks and Amazon planning a major expansion of its other Canadian office, in Vancouver, Toronto fell off the leader board. New York also fell down the list because of its scarcity of suitable real estate.


Resonance is predicting Chicago, Northern Virginia, and L.A. as the most likely sites for Amazon’s “HQ2”, giving Boston an outside shot.


...

Amazon already has a massive presence in LA and Orange County and has been adding tons of space almost quarterly out here. Obviously being in the same time zone as Seattle has to hurt our chances, but i wouldnt rule it out. Silicon Beach are (Venice, Santa Monica, Playa Vista, Culver City, Hawthorne) and Downtown LA would both be solid choices for vastly different reasons.

[10023]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Mostly true. IMHO though the recent spat with Seattle suggests maybe Amazon would like to move to a smaller metro. The danger with moving to Philly or Chicago is basically that Amazon would be a major player, but not be able to control city government on its own, meaning shit like the Seattle head tax could still pass. Bottom line is if Amazon wants a "company town" situation, it still very well might pick a smaller city.

The Seattle “head tax” passed despite Amazon being the big fish locally. I doubt they’re thinking about it that way. They’re not looking to be like Wal-Mart in Bentonville. Even in Nashville or Raleigh, they wouldn’t be able to singlehandedly block something like that.

[NativeOrange]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Amazon already has a massive presence in LA and Orange County and has been adding tons of space almost quarterly out here. Obviously being in the same time zone as Seattle has to hurt our chances, but i wouldnt rule it out. Silicon Beach are (Venice, Santa Monica, Playa Vista, Culver City, Hawthorne) and Downtown LA would both be solid choices for vastly different reasons.

It seems that LA is a big focus for Amazon’s advertising and video production/filming ventures. They’ve been expanding their presence on that front quite prominently in recent years leasing up spaces in the Silicon Beach area. Most notable was their decision to move Amazon Studios from Santa Monica to the historic Culver Studios (Citizen Kane and Gone with the Wind were both filmed there) including all employees of Amazon-owned IMDB, Amazon Video and World Wide Advertising.

I do think LA’s prospects with Amazon look good as far as future plans and expansion of certain divisions, but I highly doubt the city will land HQ2.

[skyscraper]

Thanks for opening this thread again.
I posted this in the Philly thread, and I apologize that it is behind a paywall, but the WSJ published an article stating that cities are recycling their Amazon bids to lure other companies there.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cities-hawk-their-amazon-pitches-to-other-companies-1526290200

[Illithid Dude]

I would be absolutely shocked if Amazon chose LA - though I could potentially see them basing their headquarters in that few million square feet of office space proposed for above and around Union Station. Regardless, it feels like such a long shot to me that I can hardly hedge my bets on it.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Mostly true. IMHO though the recent spat with Seattle suggests maybe Amazon would like to move to a smaller metro. The danger with moving to Philly or Chicago is basically that Amazon would be a major player, but not be able to control city government on its own, meaning shit like the Seattle head tax could still pass. Bottom line is if Amazon wants a "company town" situation, it still very well might pick a smaller city.

That's the beautiful thing about machine politics. The city of Chicago will violate it's own laws if necessary to get them. Rahm will smash any and all political opposition. When the city wants something to happen the don't give two shits about the little people in the way.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I would be absolutely shocked if Amazon chose LA - though I could potentially see them basing their headquarters in that few million square feet of office space proposed for above and around Union Station. Regardless, it feels like such a long shot to me that I can hardly hedge my bets on it.

I'd be surprised too but I think we'll be getting a lot of investment from Amazon over the next decade anyways so it won't be that huge of a lost to us

[Khantilever]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Mostly true. IMHO though the recent spat with Seattle suggests maybe Amazon would like to move to a smaller metro. The danger with moving to Philly or Chicago is basically that Amazon would be a major player, but not be able to control city government on its own, meaning shit like the Seattle head tax could still pass. Bottom line is if Amazon wants a "company town" situation, it still very well might pick a smaller city.

I feel like being the biggest employer in town is exactly one of the things they’re trying to escape. The problem with company towns is that when things go bad, there’s just one place where fingers are pointed when assigning blame: the company. So all of Seattle’s ills, from homelessness to congestion, are blamed on Amazon—despite lots of growth from other companies, and many issues that predated Amazon. And proposals like the head tax are also easier to pass because people get the impression that “the company” will be the one to pay it.

If I were Amazon, I’d be hoping to move somewhere where I can just fit in with a nice group of large, similar-minded firms.

[mhays]

Third largest corporate employer in Seattle area actually...Microsoft and Boeing each have more.

[10023]

Originally Posted by mhays

Third largest corporate employer in Seattle area actually...Microsoft and Boeing each have more.

Neither are actually in Seattle, though. At least not downtown. And Boeing isn’t a headquarters.