Amazon: The Thread | 5,000 Jobs | 1M SQFT in Nashville Yards

[urbanplanet17]

14 minutes ago, nashville_bound said:

A big question is does Amazon value low taxes and a low cast of living over mass/regional transit. In general, they are conflicting wants.

Amazon wants a purple unicorn. The reality is, they're not going to find one.

No one city will be this utopia that meets all of their (IMO, increasingly ridiculous) requirements.

[Guest]

^ yes. I agree there is no perfect candidate city who checks all the boxes. 

Based on their actions in Seattle regarding the proposed head tax Nashville is still in the running.

[urbanplanet17]

9 hours ago, LA_TN said:

Amazon has started telling some cities why they are no longer in the running, including Cincinnati and Sacramento. Detroit fell out of consideration because of the lack of a regional transit system

Actually, the main reason Detroit was cut was because of the lack of tech talent they would need (most of the talent in Detroit is Auto Engineering-centric), plus the hard time they would have attracting outside talent to Detroit (due to its perceived negative reputation).

In fact, transit in Detroit is no worse or better than transit in Indianapolis, Raleigh, Columbus and Nashville (all 4 of which also made the shortlist).

A huge part of the reason Nashville made the shortlist is because it's an easy city to sell to outside talent, given how much millennials adore the party-like culture there.

Edited May 3, 2018 by urbanplanet17

[smeagolsfree]

Well Sacramento was out form the start IMO, due to the fact they were on the west coast and too close to the current HQ. That was not a surprise. 

[CenterHill]

5 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

I am with you. It would be too much of a disruption of our lives here. I think there would be a lot more problems than benefits. Whoever gets it, congrats. Lets move on and grow at a sensible rate.

Exactly where I am.    

[SoundScan]

HQ2 will ultimately go to the city that checks enough boxes and offers the most lucrative incentive package, likely in the billions of dollars. That could certainly be Nashville, and it would be interesting to see the cognitive dissonance of the low-taxes proponents wondering why the city can’t afford to build sidewalks or fully fund the school system while simultaneously championing a corporate giveaway that may well exceed the city’s entire annual budget.

To be clear, I think low taxes are a good thing as long as everything is accounted for, and corporate relocation incentives can be useful when used sensibly. However, this HQ2 competition has become a circus; a prize fight between cities in which the only winner will be Amazon.

[Guest]

^^ Disagree (I think)! I am almost 100% certain I disagree with you because winning the A-HQ2 contest will result is so many positive intangibles (I am sure some negative as well) for the Nashville area... think Titans and Predators and Nissan and AllianceBerstein x 20! There is a very small chance Nashville and TN overpay on the incentive package .... I have confidence this will not happen because of a sterling track record of economic development.

[Nathan_in_DC]

7 hours ago, Ingram said:

Amazon's charade is nothing but a gravy grab. It would be a good thing if they don't come.

7 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

I am with you. It would be too much of a disruption of our lives here. I think there would be a lot more problems than benefits. Whoever gets it, congrats. Lets move on and grow at a sensible rate.

Agreed with both. This circus that Amazon has engineered is a blatant attempt at squeezing as much corporate welfare as possible from whatever city they get, and causing many towns to just embarass themselves in the process. 

Nashville is better off without a behemoth like Amazon. They would have so much influence as to effectively control the local government, and would have undue sway on the state. 

[MLBrumby]

Probably good that you guys feel that way because according to various sources, Nashville just pulled itself out of consideration for Amazon HQ2:

The resounding defeat Nashville's proposed $5.4 billion transit expansion suffered at the polls on May 1 very likely spiked Nashville's shot at landing Amazon.com Inc.'s immense second headquarters. That's the analysis of Michelle Comerford, a project director at Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co. The national firm specializes in site selection for companies looking to relocate or expand, and negotiating incentives tied to those moves. Comerford has been in the business for 15 years.

"Unfortunately, this is probably going to be a fatal blow to Nashville's ability to attract HQ2," Comerford said, using the popular shorthand for the 50,000-job second corporate headquarters that the retail giant Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) is pursuing. Amazon has shortlisted Nashville and 19 other North American markets that the company is scouting for a $5 billion investment that could grow to rival the size of its 8.1 million-square-foot Seattle hub. As we've reported, business executives are sharply divided about whether Nashville wants Amazon and its transformational expansion.

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2018/05/03/failed-transit-vote-likely-fatal-blow-to.html

[Neigeville2]

 

On 5/2/2018 at 12:58 PM, KJHburg said:

This is interesting from Seattle concerning Amazon.  https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/amazon-pauses-seattle-construction-pending-city-hall-head-tax-vote/

Sad to lose the transit vote, but if it shelters us a bit from Amazon and the new feudalism it represents, it's not all bad.  Here's hoping Seattle keeps fighting the power.  

[Guest]

There seems to be developing an interesting correlation between being a Transit Plan supporter and an opponent of Amazon HQ2 ...not 1:1 but a significant fraction. 

Edited May 4, 2018 by Guest

[Binbin98]

Honestly I don't think Nashville is entirely out of the running for this, and this is just another example of the NBJ's desire for clickbait dramatic titles to get people to pay money. 

Of course Nashville's chances have diminished significantly, however the appeal of this city along with the diverse economy and cost of living are very attractive factors, even with little to no mass transit. The United States's mass transit as a whole is laughable compared to this side of the pond or most other developed or even developing countries, and Nashville is just yet another city in this category of no mass transit.

I feel as well amazon in Nashville would be both bad and good. Obviously it would be good for the reputation of the city as a global business hub going up, but to be honest I can see many downsides to that happening. In addition to traffic woes, amazon probably would keep other businesses from relocating here due to their hold on the local economy probably, and the economy would become actually less strong in the long term because it would be less diverse, so if hypothetically amazon would go bankrupt or downsize, it could affect nashville as well.

I am just happy Alliance Bernstein moved here, that move isnt too much that we as a city cannot handle, and it will also probably spur more growth and development in the local economy while also making other businesses looking to relocate here consider it more. 

[MagicPotato]

7 minutes ago, Binbin98 said:

Honestly I don't think Nashville is entirely out of the running for this, and this is just another example of the NBJ's desire for clickbait dramatic titles to get people to pay money. 

Of course Nashville's chances have diminished significantly, however the appeal of this city along with the diverse economy and cost of living are very attractive factors, even with little to no mass transit. The United States's mass transit as a whole is laughable compared to this side of the pond or most other developed or even developing countries, and Nashville is just yet another city in this category of no mass transit.

I feel as well amazon in Nashville would be both bad and good. Obviously it would be good for the reputation of the city as a global business hub going up, but to be honest I can see many downsides to that happening. In addition to traffic woes, amazon probably would keep other businesses from relocating here due to their hold on the local economy probably, and the economy would become actually less strong in the long term because it would be less diverse, so if hypothetically amazon would go bankrupt or downsize, it could affect nashville as well.

I am just happy Alliance Bernstein moved here, that move isnt too much that we as a city cannot handle, and it will also probably spur more growth and development in the local economy while also making other businesses looking to relocate here consider it more. 

I agree, also I heard Mr.Bezos is trying to get into the health industry. That might sway a little in our favor. 

[Pdt2f]

I like the idea someone had on here last year, for amazon to have a “Southeast HQ” with maybe 10,000-15,000 workers each in Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham. Plenty of flights between the cities, plenty of colleges to hire from, and certain cities would be great fits for certain parts of amazon (maybe healthcare and prime music for Nashville, logistics for Atlanta, financial for Charlotte, etc). 

[Binbin98]

I actually am very very happy we got the Alliance Bernstein Headquarter relocation instead of amazon (er maybe instead but not sure yet). I would much rather have this relocation, as it leaves room for other companies to follow and it won't overrun the city or make it grow too fast. I don't want Nashville to become Amazonville, and honestly this whole Headquarters 2 search is more and more disturbing as the process goes along, because now it just seems like a cash grab from cities and a power trip for Bezos. Alliance Bernstein had a similar search with 30 cities, and granted they arent as big as Amazon, but still companies like them and Apple are doing a new HQ search low key and not just doing it for attention and press recognition. I dont know, in any case I really couldn't care less if the HQ2 comes here or not, either way Nashville will keep growing.

[NashvilleObserver]

11 hours ago, nashville_bound said:

A-HQ2 contest will result is so many positive intangibles 

I have heard (from both sides, Nashville promoters and Amazon scouts) that (clearly just a speculative mention) with HQ2, Amazon was hoping to branch out into so many other things (pharmaceuticals, space, transit (in response to Musk/Tesla/Boring Machine)) that one facet they could be seriously considering is a city that NEEDS HELP developing it's transit in order for Amazon to help them, and then display their new transit systems with a base city that can handle it as a template. 

Basically Amazon could be looking for a city they could transform, in order to shower their prowess in every area they can.

Which makes so much sense. If Amazon was able to say (Look how we transformed Nashville and it's city transit) then imagine the places they could jump from there!!

[Flatrock]

6 hours ago, NashvilleObserver said:

Basically Amazon could be looking for a city they could transform, in order to shower their prowess in every area they can.

Hmmmmmmmm. That's an interesting perspective, and one I've not considered before. I can envisage how the possibility of transforming a city according to your own Vision (image?) - would be alluring to a man like Bezos. A little spooky, too. But very interesting.

[TheRaglander]

5 minutes ago, Flatrock said:

Hmmmmmmmm. That's an interesting perspective, and one I've not considered before. I can envisage how the possibility of transforming a city according to your own Vision (image?) - would be alluring to a man like Bezos. A little spooky, too. But very interesting.

Sounds more like a hot girl in high school that you really want to date but she wants you to lose your friends, your dog, and your pickup truck.  On top of that, she wants to tell you how to dress.  NO THANKS.  

[PruneTracy]

1 hour ago, TheRaglander said:

Sounds more like a hot girl in high school that you really want to date but she wants you to lose your friends, your dog, and your pickup truck.  On top of that, she wants to tell you how to dress.  NO THANKS.  

Background music for the rest of the page (RIP):

I'm Amazongnostic, if they want to come join the party, fine, if not, no big deal. I would not expect the transit vote to move the needle appreciably. If Amazon has to choose between low taxes / no transit and high taxes / transit, they're going to choose the former. Of course, they don't have to choose, no doubt some city will throw money at them.

[Guest]

This article makes the case that Nashville's low taxes ... or conversely NYC's high taxes with marginal benefits.... was the reason AB is moving the HQ.

https://www.city-journal.org/html/escape-new-york-15886.html?utm_source=City+Journal+Update&utm_campaign=3c41c08aed-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_05_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6c08930f2b-3c41c08aed-109485629

[tragenvol]

On 5/3/2018 at 3:10 PM, Nathan_in_DC said:

Agreed with both. This circus that Amazon has engineered is a blatant attempt at squeezing as much corporate welfare as possible from whatever city they get, and causing many towns to just embarass themselves in the process. 

Nashville is better off without a behemoth like Amazon. They would have so much influence as to effectively control the local government, and would have undue sway on the state. 

I agree; if you've ever personally dealt with Amazon corporate, you'd have discovered how effective they are at squeezing every cent they can from a transaction no matter how small...it works for them; so, well played.  However, I'd like my invoice paid in less than 48 days, and if not, please desist with the constant harassment to accept a discount for early payment....you weren't offered any discount payment terms.
 

I can only imagine what they're asking for to invest in "your" city....I can't tell you how many times I've loathed communicating with Amazon corporate over trivial matters, and the leverage they attempt to apply no matter how minuscule the  item.

Edited May 7, 2018 by tragenvol

[Pyramid Scheme]

On 5/4/2018 at 4:40 PM, nashville_bound said:

This article makes the case that Nashville's low taxes ... or conversely NYC's high taxes with marginal benefits.... was the reason AB is moving the HQ

May many others follow suit.

[Neigeville2]

Interesting article in the Seattle PI about Amazon and its demand for subsidies.  I'm surprised nobody's out there screaming Amazon means higher taxes.  Not on most people's radar I guess.

"There's no such thing as free growth," LeRoy said. "You're going to have to educate kids and pick up trash and widen lanes. All those things are expensive. If Amazon's not paying for any of that growth, you're going to have a lot of upward pressure on everybody else's tax rates, unless people want really crowded classrooms and really crowded streets."

 

[Guest]

^ economic development is not about a free lunch....it is about smart investment in current and future growth. Just as an early round investor in a growth sector company, the ROI will be delayed. Even Amazon’s own growth model is instructive - decades of cash outflow while it grew revenue and market share. 

[jmtunafish]

The more I learn about Amazon and what it's done to Seattle, the less I want Amazon in Nashville.