Amazon HQ2

[ah59396]

Man I swear, whoever is in charge of promoting Detroit does a hell of a job...

 

 

 

For those of you that recall, they also produced an exceptional promotion to try and get the xgames to go there:

 

 

 

and, if you recall, here was our awful xgames bid video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anywhoooo, video bids don't win the xgames (in the case of detroit) nor companies.  However, I think it's important to see how some cities are approaching this bid versus others.

 

Take a look at this Frisco bid for example:

 

 

 

 

It's a nice video and all, but to me it shows how the city thinks of itself and what makes it appealing.  "Family friendly", "thinking outside the box" equals a police officer on a bike and a picture of the suburbs.

 

I wont pretend to know exactly what amazon wants, but I doubt it's that.  Given what I've seen out of the city in the past, I would much more expect us to put forward a Frisco type approach as opposed to Detroit.

 

 

 

Edit:  Interestingly, Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cavs and Detroit native, is the one who released that video.  The city of Detroit asked him to help with the bid.  I expect Detroit to co-bid with Windsor a well.

 

 

I swear, if Charlotte trots out Homer the Dragon for its promotional video, I'll lose my mind.

Edited September 30, 2017 by ah59396

[Niner National]

If nc cities get eliminated, I would like to see Detroit get it. It would be great to see one of America's once great cities return to former glory in a new industry . 

[ah59396]

7 minutes ago, Niner National said:

If nc cities get eliminated, I would like to see Detroit get it. It would be great to see one of America's once great cities return to former glory in a new industry . 

Agreed.  I actually think Detroit has a hell of a shot.  Ann Arbor is in its backyard and they have stupid cheap land.  Close proximity to the Canadian Border and Toronto for Canadian business.  Plus Detroit has gone full Stella and got its groove back.  It's got loads of culture and history.  I really want to see Motown back on top.

[kermit]

^ Agreed.  With offices on both sides of the river Amazon could recruit workers using Canadian skilled worker visas which are much easier to get than the increasingly rare US ones.

Detroit also has commuter rail connection to Ann Arbor in the mill,  semi-HSR service (110 mph) to Chicago and lots of discussions of real HSR connecting Windsor to Toronto and points east. There are several Universities in the Toronto-Windsor corridor that are top notch in CS grad production as well.

Finally, Detroit's lack of transit could be easily overcome using OCP's Delta City model -- one of the most thoughtfully designed urban renewal models of our generation.  We should not underestimate the abilities of OCP to design an urban campus that perfectly suits the needs of both Amazon and its workers. [more seriously, an urban live/work village along the river, perhaps near Atwater Brewing, would work fine]

Edited September 30, 2017 by kermit

[elrodvt]

^Got me

[cltbwimob]

3 hours ago, Niner National said:

If nc cities get eliminated, I would like to see Detroit get it. It would be great to see one of America's once great cities return to former glory in a new industry . 

I am pulling for Charlotte to win HQ2 for obvious reasons, but if Charlotte doesn't get HQ2, then I hope Detroit gets it.  I visited Detroit last year and thought how sad it was that economic forces had dealt such a great city such a bad hand.

Detroit has a lot of great things in its favor-an airport with national and global reach, a world class public research university in UMich as well as other large universities such as EMU and Wayne State in the metro, land prices are relatively cheap, etc.  The one big thing Detroit is lacking is an efficient public transit system.  Unfortunately they had a chance to build a good BRT and Commuter Rail system, but it failed in a  referendum last year by a slight margin.  Though, I think if Amazon came to town with 50k workers-many of whom would presumably be in favor of public transit investment-it could pass at a new [hypothetical] referendum.

It would be great to see Detroit again rise to preeminence, and there is perhaps no better catalyst than Amazon HQ2 to kick the Motor City renaissance into high gear.  If I were advising Bezos, I would tell him to strongly consider Detroit.  He would be a hero to the city, and, at least on paper, it also makes a lot of economic sense.

[Master of the Universe]

The problem with Detroit is that it is ghetto fabulous, filled with blight and crime. My uncle retired as a police officer there after 30 years...wow! Ain't many skinny-jean-wearing millennials gonna wanna set up shop there. 

I give Detroit props for working to reinvent themselves. It is one of the great industrial cities and has contributed so much to this great nation. Sometimes the feast goes to the most hungry among us. Charlotte and NC is simply not gonna be hungry enough for HQ2. 

Detroit is hungry for much love, and Amazon is a corporate ho, so they could perceivably hook up...but I doubt it.

[Cadi40]

I Think the biggest Contenders are

-Atlanta

-Charlotte

-Boston

-Austin

-Raleigh

-Washington

-Philadelphia

-Pittsburg

-Baltimore  

 

[elrodvt]

I like that list but don't think NC cities or ATL have much of a shot myself and would add Detroit & Denver. Had not thought of Baltimore. If Amazon would like to make a difference Baltimore, Detroit & Philly are great options.

I wish it was a level playing field financially since that makes it impossible to even guess. We should have a HQ2 derby!

Edited October 1, 2017 by elrodvt

[Cadi40]

I think NC Cities are big contenders, Atlanta is a huge one. I doubt Detroit due to there economy and I think it's going to be somewhere on the East Coast.

[jednc]

On 9/29/2017 at 11:07 AM, JBS said:

From my perspective, it seems like you are very dismissive and critical of Charlotte in many of your posts.  I love San Diego and talk about it (too much for most I'm sure).  However, I made a decision to move to Charlotte and love it also.  They are different and Charlotte will never have some things that SD has (mostly the weather, beach, topography, trees).  Nonetheless, overall I've decided that Charlotte is a better place for me and my family.  You don't have to love it and constructive criticism is welcome.  But, when most of your comments indicate that you don't like Charlotte and/or it could never compare to Denver, it does get tiresome.  Just my opinion, I could certainly be wrong...

I wish that guy had liked Denver just a little bit more to be honest with you.

Edited October 1, 2017 by jednc

[Cadi40]

I don't know why we are still talking about Charlotte compared to Denver, It's an irrelevant topic in the matter that they are two different cities.

[RALNATIVE]

46 minutes ago, Cadi40 said:

I think NC Cities are big contenders, Atlanta is a huge one. I doubt Detroit due to there economy and I think it's going to be somewhere on the East Coast.

One thing that I know about Amazon is that Jeff Bezos will not pick a city that doesn't match his company's cultural image, and Detroit is about as far from that as could be. Let's get real, I just don't see large numbers of geeks and urban hipsters flocking to Detroit.

[RiverwoodCLT]

1 hour ago, RALNATIVE said:

One thing that I know about Amazon is that Jeff Bezos will not pick a city that doesn't match his company's cultural image, and Detroit is about as far from that as could be. Let's get real, I just don't see large numbers of geeks and urban hipsters flocking to Detroit.

Amen

It will be in the eastern Time zone,  in the southeastern USA

[eastsider]

3 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

I think NC Cities are big contenders, Atlanta is a huge one. I doubt Detroit due to there economy and I think it's going to be somewhere on the East Coast.

Detroit is further east than Atlanta.

[Matthew.Brendan]

https://detroit.curbed.com/2017/8/4/16094400/report-tech-jobs-millenial-detroit

Not sure why people think millennials are allergic to Detroit. 

[TheOneRJ]

17 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

I Think the biggest Contenders are

-Atlanta

-Charlotte

-Boston

-Austin

-Raleigh

-Washington

-Philadelphia

-Pittsburg

-Baltimore  

 

Raleigh, Austin, and Pittsburg aren’t happening. 

[Popsickle]

3 hours ago, eastsider said:

Detroit is further east than Atlanta.

True, but it's part of the Midwest and not east coast. 

[jednc]

An article discussing Amazon's second headquarters from an NC State professor. Not really anything new, just posting.

[caterpillar2]

I don't believe th

22 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

I don't know why we are still talking about Charlotte compared to Denver, It's an irrelevant topic in the matter that they are two different cities.

Detroit is likely not a real consideration. It is a totally unionist city and nobody wants that these days.  Look what happened to the city, the automotive industry.  and the general attitude towards the workers. 

Edited October 2, 2017 by caterpillar2

[RALNATIVE]

On 9/30/2017 at 10:01 PM, Cadi40 said:

I Think the biggest Contenders are

-Atlanta

-Charlotte

-Boston

-Austin

-Raleigh

-Washington

-Philadelphia

-Pittsburg

-Baltimore  

 

I'd also include Toronto.

[atlrvr]

Random idea:

Wrap the UNCC Uptown building in brown advertising screens to look like a stack of four Amazon boxes (complete with logos).

It would be a 100+ foot tall advertisement, and be adjacent to our most compelling site.   Lots of marketing taglines could follow:

Look what arrived...

Best package yet...

 

[EllAyyDub]

One incentive program that has not been mentioned are Utility Rate Discounts.  If proposed the right way, Duke could offer significant reductions in utilities paid.  Having Duke is an asset we have not looked at that should be taken into account.  

More details on page 9 here: https://charlottechamber.com/clientuploads/Economic_pdfs/charlotte_incentives.pdf

They would have to structure a specific, one-time agreement for it to be significant enough to move the needle our way.

[kermit]

6 minutes ago, EllAyyDub said:

One incentive program that has not been mentioned are Utility Rate Discounts.  If proposed the right way, Duke could offer significant reductions in utilities paid.  Having Duke is an asset we have not looked at that should be taken into account.  

More details on page 9 here: https://charlottechamber.com/clientuploads/Economic_pdfs/charlotte_incentives.pdf

They would have to structure a specific, one-time agreement for it to be significant enough to move the needle our way.

Its a good idea, but I suspect its not much money in the grand scheme for non-industrial projects that are likely to be in LEED buildings.

I believe that Duke did provide very favorable, fixed-rate, agreements with all of the region's server farms.

[jednc]

1 hour ago, atlrvr said:

Random idea:

Wrap the UNCC Uptown building in brown advertising screens to look like a stack of four Amazon boxes (complete with logos).

It would be a 100+ foot tall advertisement, and be adjacent to our most compelling site.   Lots of marketing taglines could follow:

Look what arrived...

Best package yet...

 

I think this is a great idea. Wonder if there is a way to do this inexpensively? You should suggest this to the group heading up our bid.