Amazon HQ2

[ah59396]

17 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

After watching that I am very confident that Charlotte will submit a very well put together bid. That video was made purely to advertise Charlotte, I would expect them to put the same amount of effort and even more into a bid because it is for a multi billion dollar company. If I were a tourist thinking about places to visit and was shown that, Charlotte would be one of the places I'd go.

Haha cmon man.  Charlotte’s awesome and getting better.  It’s a great place to live.

But it’s honestly so far down the list of things to see in the US, heck in NC.  

[KJHburg]

The Business Journals nationwide are doing big stories on Amazon and their facilities around the country.  Here is a map and the employment figures are not correct for NC they are much higher.  https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/maps/the-amazon-effect    Plus there is another new warehouse in Charlotte that was just leased off Wilkinson in addition to the Old Dowd Rd facility. 

Here is an article from them in general about Amazon and subsidies around the country. https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/10/11/the-amazon-effect.html?ana=e_triad_bn&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1507741307&j=78973561

Edited October 11, 2017 by KJHburg

[archiham04]

4 hours ago, ah59396 said:

Haha cmon man.  Charlotte’s awesome and getting better.  It’s a great place to live.

But it’s honestly so far down the list of things to see in the US, heck in NC.  

I had some cousins come to Charlotte as a destination. They had heard about the world class Frisbee golf courses and HAD to visit.

[HighRiseHillbilly]

6 hours ago, archiham04 said:

I had some cousins come to Charlotte as a destination. They had heard about the world class Frisbee golf courses and HAD to visit.

That's hilarious. 

I don't play, but I walk the course at Reedy Creek. Great scenery and it looked sufficiently challenging, in my opinion. 

[kermit]

Its been a few years but I knew 4 people who lived in Florida make a special trip here just for frisbee golf.

#CltisPrime

Edited October 12, 2017 by kermit

[KJHburg]

Amazon article of the day watch what you wish for.

https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/office/sleepless-over-seattle-why-cities-need-to-think-hard-about-amazon-hq2-80072?rt=48709&utm_source=MorningBrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20171012_charlotte_morningbrief&be=kj%40charlottehomes.com

[Dale]

Reason why people aren't moving here in droves for our attractions: attractions don't pay you, you pay them.

[DavieNative]

10 hours ago, HighRiseHillbilly said:

That's hilarious. 

I don't play, but I walk the course at Reedy Creek. Great scenery and it looked sufficiently challenging, in my opinion. 

Reedy Creek is great and is one of the oldest courses in the area! Charlotte is one of the disc golf capitals of America with the amount of quality courses we possess! 

[HighRiseHillbilly]

1 hour ago, DavieNative said:

Reedy Creek is great and is one of the oldest courses in the area! Charlotte is one of the disc golf capitals of America with the amount of quality courses we possess! 

Hmm....... you learn something new every day. Tell 'em to throw that in the proposal!

[HighRiseHillbilly]

3 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Amazon article of the day watch what you wish for.

https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/office/sleepless-over-seattle-why-cities-need-to-think-hard-about-amazon-hq2-80072?rt=48709&utm_source=MorningBrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20171012_charlotte_morningbrief&be=kj%40charlottehomes.com

This is what concerns me. There are a lot of things we don't yet handle well (how's that BLE coming?) and we're still, in a sense, "finding ourselves" as a city.

I have yet to shake that bad feeling about Amazon coming here and this article perfectly encapsulates the reasons why. I'm sure we will reap some kind of benefits if it comes anywhere on the east coast. .....anywhere but here.

[Urbs42]

31 minutes ago, HighRiseHillbilly said:

This is what concerns me. There are a lot of things we don't yet handle well (how's that BLE coming?) and we're still, in a sense, "finding ourselves" as a city.

I have yet to shake that bad feeling about Amazon coming here and this article perfectly encapsulates the reasons why. I'm sure we will reap some kind of benefits if it comes anywhere on the east coast. .....anywhere but here.

Fair concerns... but as problems go, I see these as good ones to have.

Agree with the sentiment that the city is still "finding itself", but I would argue the die is already cast to a significant degree. CLT's foundation is built on, and trajectory aimed towards, being a major business center and transportation hub.   

Trying to establish a national brand as a cultural capital or even a notable player in the arts, design, music, fashion, media, entertainment, education, recreation, tourism, etc. just doesn't seem to be in the cards.  And to the extent it can develop stronger creative communities and cultural institutions is directly tied to its success attracting more residents with the talents, tastes and resources to build/support them.  CLT's emerging craft beer scene is a prime example.  

CLT will be just fine without HQ2, but landing it would be a  tremendous catalyst accelerating the city  towards what it is - and should be - striving to become.   

 

 

 

[Guest]

I think we should do this outlandish thing to attract amazon. LOL. I do large scale graphics for a living and I think you could do this for about $3M 

 

[KJHburg]

Drove by the newest Amazon warehouses in Charlotte off Wilkinson Blvd on Parrot Drive. (Wilkinson Commerce Center) One building is 159,000 sq ft and the other 57,500 sq ft here then down the road at Old Dowd Rd and Wilkinson is their 500,000 sq ft fulfillment center, then of  course the 202,000 sq ft Concord sortation center and the new 1,000,000 sq ft Kannapolis warehouse now underway. The last one is the only facility that has been given incentives that I can find.   1st and last photos are new warehouses on Parrot Drive and the 2nd and 3rd are of the large 500K warehouse on Old Dowd.  Total square footage 1,716,500 sq ft. 

[Cadi40]

I think Charlotte has a really good chance , No I am not being biased considering that Amazon will likely choose the East Coast, Some place that has many options for development, Some place relatively cheap to build and live compared to other cities, A place with access to a large pool of tech labor workers, Someplace that offers culture and attractions, And someplace that has steady growth. 

 

[Niner National]

2 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

I think Charlotte has a really good chance , No I am not being biased considering that Amazon will likely choose the East Coast, Some place that has many options for development, Some place relatively cheap to build and live compared to other cities, A place with access to a large pool of tech labor workers, Someplace that offers culture and attractions, And someplace that has steady growth. 

 

Agree. I personally would be a little surprised if it isn't in Georgia, North Carolina, or Virginia.

[cjd5050]

19 hours ago, HighRiseHillbilly said:

This is what concerns me. There are a lot of things we don't yet handle well (how's that BLE coming?) and we're still, in a sense, "finding ourselves" as a city.

I have yet to shake that bad feeling about Amazon coming here and this article perfectly encapsulates the reasons why. I'm sure we will reap some kind of benefits if it comes anywhere on the east coast. .....anywhere but here.

 

Valid concerns on how this plays out but I think it's important to stress the differences in the various deals that are out there.  Most important is the massive difference between tools such as sales tax credits and grants.  Huge difference.  For example, NYS spent over $800 million to land the SolarCity/Tesla plant.  That's NYS taking money paid by taxpayers and using it to build a factory for a private company.   The promised return was spending  $5 billion and creating 5,000 jobs in the state.   This is not the same as a tax credit of course.  The Tesla deal in Nevada is mostly based on 20 years of foregoing sales tax and 10 years of foregoing property tax.  

As long as deals are crafted to forego tax revenue to produce growth rather than spending it...it's really not the same conversation.  

Another thing that needs to be mentioned is the projects listed in your link are tied to manufacturing.  WI needed that Foxconn deal to appease labor.  NY needed to deliver 'obtainable jobs' to Buffalo with the SolarCity deal and NV did the same with their plant.  The 'trickle down' of economic benefit for manufacturing jobs is almost nothing in comparison to technology or high skill jobs.   Say the best 5 workers at the Foxconn factory got the entrepreneurial bug.  What are they going to do?  Spin-off their own factory?   Now take best big data engineers at a conglomerate such as Amazon.  They can be up and running in a couple of months with a client list in the wings.  

One thing I learned growing up the dystopia of New York State north of Westchester is that trying to compare to any place else as a way to forecast a local result is a futile effort.  Then it was learning that you can't just be like Charlotte North Carolina and now it knowing North Carolina isn't Wisconsin.

 

 

 

 

 

[krazeeboi]

22 hours ago, DavieNative said:

Reedy Creek is great and is one of the oldest courses in the area! Charlotte is one of the disc golf capitals of America with the amount of quality courses we possess! 

It's really a regional thing; can't forget about Rock Hill's status among disc golf enthusiasts. https://www.discgolfworldtour.com/events-item/usdgc-2017/

[krazeeboi]

12 hours ago, Niner National said:

Agree. I personally would be a little surprised if it isn't in Georgia, North Carolina, or Virginia.

Atlanta and NoVA, sure. Charlotte and the Triangle are dark horses IMO. 

If state politics are a major concern, then as far as the East Coast goes, I see this going to NoVA, Baltimore, Philly, or New Jersey.

[deleted]

5 hours ago, krazeeboi said:

Atlanta and NoVA, sure. Charlotte and the Triangle are dark horses IMO. 

If state politics are a major concern, then as far as the East Coast goes, I see this going to NoVA, Baltimore, Philly, or New Jersey.

I can definitely see NoVA, Philly or Baltimore as possibilities.  NJ seems VERY unlikely (not hating, I was born there)...

[RiverwoodCLT]

I do not think it will be a coastal city due rising ocean waters.

[orulz]

Atlanta and Chicago are my top picks for the front runners here.

[KJHburg]

According to Moodys Analytics  AUSTIN TX is the HQ2 winner, runner up Atlanta Philadelphia number 3 etc.  

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2017/10/13/when-it-comes-to-amazon-hq2-moodys-thinks-austin.html?ana=e_aus_bn&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1507927113&j=78988481

Austin is VERY WEAK in mass transit having one commuter rail line north from downtown with no other current plans underway.  Their airport is average but is no hub and is also is in the Central time zone.  Still think in my opinion it will go out southeast with ATL being their top choice but Charlotte up there and maybe who knows.  

[kermit]

Hugh McColl on HQ2:

Quote

“I have written Mr. Bezos,” McColl told CBJ. “I told him that I built a huge company here and everybody and his dog wanted us to move and I didn’t. I stayed here because people love living here.”

and then on HB2:

Quote

Moments later, the retired banker wondered aloud whether the year-long controversy over the law that prevented anti-discrimination protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people might have a hangover effect.

Bids are due on Thursday.

from CBJ: https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2017/10/16/hugh-mccoll-lobbies-jeff-bezos-worries-hb2-hurts.html

Edited October 16, 2017 by kermit

[Cadi40]

I'm confident that HB2 Won't drop our chances greatly, however it may effect it minimally. 

[ssh214]

4 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

I'm confident that HB2 Won't drop our chances greatly, however it may effect it minimally. 

I think at the end of the day Amazon has already narrowed it down to a few cities internally, i personally believe Charlotte meets all the criteria to be one of those finalists, at that point it'll just come down to who gives the best incentives... The past in regards to HB2 won't make any difference if the money is there