Amazon HQ2

[RiverwoodCLT]

Sometime it is hard to see the forest for the tree.   What the  NY Times  sees  is the old cities as the right choice.   

I still say look at the southeast USA in the Eastern time zone.

I am not in the know about what Amazon will do.  

I think they will want to be the big fish in the pond.

[Richhamleigh, DC]

5 hours ago, elrodvt said:

NY times today. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/business/amazon-headquarters-competition.html

 

 

Which takes out Texas and Georgia from contention as well.

[elrodvt]

^My personal view has long been south eastern states plus TX are not a fit for this reason.  I really like the idea of at least the facade of public service in their announcement - great PR. Which puts Baltimore, Detroit and Philly near the top for me. Pittsburgh seems kinda remote geographically and as the article says their airport is not in a great situation.

[kickazzz2000]

Bezos could flip North Carolina blue more easily than he could Georgia or Texas.

[RiverwoodCLT]

Just for a business stand point, it make more of a case for a eastern time zone.  Next why would you want to locate to one one of most expensive part of the the east coast,  the northeast.  If you look a airport connection, Charlotte can compete or surpass some of the cities favor.    Austin Tx airport ranks 34th in the US,  where as Charlotte is rank 9th.  Only  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta  and NY JFK are the 2 east coast airports busier than CLT.

If Charlotte can hand the growth it has had in the last 6 years (110,627) I think it could handle Amazon.  Charlotte  would have no problem  build 8 million sq ft of office space.   At the present Charlotte is in the process of building  and planning  over 5 million sq ft in Center City.

Raleigh in the last 6 years (54,988)   airport rank 39 busiest airport in US.  They would have a hard tine coming up with 8.1 million sq ft of office from a local developer stand point and finance of projects.

 

I think only Atlanta and Charlotte are the two best cities to choose from.

 

 

[SentioVenia]

No NC city stands a shot to win HQ2 because of HB2.  National perception of this state on social issues that matter to Amazon is so low and the company would take a lot of heat even for considering NC.

 

 

[QCxpat]

On 10/23/2017 at 9:16 PM, Cadi40 said:  "I understand NYC, But Charlotte is actually the Place where the most millennials are moving to." 

Here's some support for Cadi40's comment regarding the attractiveness of Charlotte to Millenials.   See link below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2016/11/16/millennial-magnet-charlotte-ranks-as-top-city-in.html

[elrodvt]

11 minutes ago, QCxpat said:

On 10/23/2017 at 9:16 PM, Cadi40 said:  "I understand NYC, But Charlotte is actually the Place where the most millennials are moving to." 

Here's some support for Cadi40's comment regarding the attractiveness of Charlotte to Millenials.   See link below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2016/11/16/millennial-magnet-charlotte-ranks-as-top-city-in.html

The counter point was it's easy to have a high percentage growth when you start small. They need to show the actual data and ideally where they come from. 

On 10/28/2017 at 12:04 AM, kickazzz2000 said:

Bezos could flip North Carolina blue more easily than he could Georgia or Texas.

I'm curious how you see that happening given the gerrymandering in place now?

[Cadi40]

43 minutes ago, QCxpat said:

On 10/23/2017 at 9:16 PM, Cadi40 said:  "I understand NYC, But Charlotte is actually the Place where the most millennials are moving to." 

Here's some support for Cadi40's comment regarding the attractiveness of Charlotte to Millenials.   See link below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2016/11/16/millennial-magnet-charlotte-ranks-as-top-city-in.html

Thank you!! I understand number wise that other cities win, But percentage wise Charlotte has the most millennial growth. 

[Niner National]

2 hours ago, elrodvt said:

The counter point was it's easy to have a high percentage growth when you start small. They need to show the actual data and ideally where they come from. 

I'm curious how you see that happening given the gerrymandering in place now?

He may just be talking about presidential and Senate elections where gerrymandering has no impact. 

[jednc]

3 hours ago, SentioVenia said:

No NC city stands a shot to win HQ2 because of HB2.  National perception of this state on social issues that matter to Amazon is so low and the company would take a lot of heat even for considering NC.

 

 

So if Charlotte makes the shortlist then you take it all back?

[elrodvt]

I don't think the shortlist matters much it's just to get bids up.

I'll tell you what. Not to speak for SentioVenio but as far as I'm concerned you can go down the playground slide first all week, OK? 

[SentioVenia]

10 hours ago, jednc said:

So if Charlotte makes the shortlist then you take it all back?

238 cities submitted bids. How many will make the shortlist?

There will be nothing to take back. 

[queensguy06]

I can't believe I'm putting my two cents into this conversation, but I am. 

Right now - short list, long list, no list - none of it means a thing.  The only company that knows a "short list" is Amazon.  Even then, while they might have some preferences, it's a fluid discussion in there ranks.  Which is what the RFQ was intended to do.  Maybe there are some cities on that short list, and maybe some have presented such a compelling proposal that it's made amazon rethink said list.

My question is, if there were only - say 10 - cities that would ultimately get the nod, why would amazon just not release that to begin with?  Would those 10 cities change their proporal when up against 9 competitors vs. 19?  If anything, amazon stands to come out as the bad guy by trying to entice cities that ultimately never had any chance to begin with.

And this gives places like Charlotte just as much  of a vote in the early stages as anyone else.  Amazon is smart; make RFQ proposals by early October, have a short list by early 2018.  Then anyone that didn't make the "short list" isn't bitter and feeling strung along (especially come time for Amazon to open up another server farm or air hub).

[KJHburg]

^^^ I think the short list is to be announced Dec 1 or thereabouts according to reports. I have firmly believe Amazon has its short list already before they started this circus but they want to see what was out there and how much someone who want them to come to their city. 

[RALNATIVE]

18 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

^^^ I think the short list is to be announced Dec 1 or thereabouts according to reports. I have firmly believe Amazon has its short list already before they started this circus but they want to see what was out there and how much someone who want them to come to their city. 

Exactly. The only reason Amazon decided to go through this process of considering metros with 1M + population was to uncover a diamond in the rough. Don't be surprised if Amazon picks a city that doesn't perfectly fit it's stated requirements, but rather has the ability and desire to grow the way Amazon wants. That's what happened in Seattle and I suspect that's what will happen with HQ2.

[kickazzz2000]

20 hours ago, Niner National said:

He may just be talking about presidential and Senate elections where gerrymandering has no impact. 

This.

[jednc]

16 hours ago, SentioVenia said:

238 cities submitted bids. How many will make the shortlist?

There will be nothing to take back. 

I don't know. 20?

[SentioVenia]

20 seems kind of long for a short list, but I could see NC cities making the top 20, just not top 5. 

[BullDurhamer]

On 10/27/2017 at 1:56 PM, Urbs42 said:

 

I have too much time on my hands today, but a couple things clicked in my head after I wrote this post. I previously worked in PR for several Amazon businesses, and along the way learned a few things about their philosophy regarding media.

1) They are extremely risk averse. I witnessed executives turn down several interview opportunities with high profile national outlets because they didn’t want to risk having to answer questions about sensitive issues at the time, like how they collect state sales tax or working conditions in their fulfillment facilities.

2) They are nothing if not strategic when it comes to media. Does anyone recall the 60 Minutes interview Bezos did back in 2013 that aired the night before CyberMonday, in which he announced Amazon’s drone delivery plans – even unveiling the prototype for the cameras? This was a brilliant use of media to spike attention and conversation around his company during the biggest online shopping day of the year, especially given that the drone bit was, and still is, years away.    

There is absolutely a strategic reason for the Willie Wonky-style golden ticket contest they have set off. Many people think it’s to heighten the competition and extract concessions from cities and states. I’ve now come around to thinking this is part of a plan to fundamentally reshape the company’s reputation; to blunt the worst effects of a fast-approaching reckoning with the public and lawmakers that could have major consequences for their future.  

Ross Douthat summarized the pressures facing Amazon and other tech giants in this great article, Meet Me in St. Louis Mr. Bezos, in which he also makes the case for the company to locate HQ2 away from an obvious creative-class boomtown. Money quote:

“What if Amazon treated their headquartering decision as an act of corporate citizenship, part public relations stunt and part genuinely patriotic gesture? What if it approached the decision as an opportunity to push back against trends driving populist suspicion of big business — educational and geographic polarization, coastal growth and heartland decay, the sense that the New Economy creates wealth but not jobs and that its tycoons are loyal to globalization rather than their country?”

The Economist dove deeper this week into the scrutiny facing tech giants in the article, Capitol Punishment. Money quote:

“While heavy regulation of tech does not seem likely in the near term, political winds can change quickly and unpredictably… what helps protect internet firms today is that they have remained generally popular among consumers by offering cheap services and widely used products. But if a crunch comes, the big tech companies may find themselves haunted by their behavior now.”

The media blitz Amazon has engineered around HQ2 makes perfect sense if this is their plan. The RFP stunt is generating maximum awareness, setting up the dominoes of populist good will and political benefits that will fall once the surprise decision is announced.

Can you imagine the avalanche of positive press and social media buzz Amazon will receive if they pick this type of underdog city? They will be praised from every corner for setting the ultimate example of how tech companies can revitalize communities and create shared prosperity. And I think it would have the intended effect.  

Obviously I have no idea if this is what Amazon is up to. But it’s a savvy, forward-thinking strategy to mitigate significant business risks. It would be very Amazonian.   

fantasyland.

you really think atlanta would be happy for detroit? 

will the good people of tampa applaud if newark's give away wins the day?   get real...  

On 10/29/2017 at 7:20 AM, SentioVenia said:

No NC city stands a shot to win HQ2 because of HB2.  National perception of this state on social issues that matter to Amazon is so low and the company would take a lot of heat even for considering NC.

 

 

not just HB2.  remember the justice department told us all that NC is deliberately trying to keep black people from voting and being represented.   sad to say, but nc is anything but 'inclusive' right now.  

[Dale]

7 minutes ago, BullDurhamer said:

fantasyland.

you really think atlanta would be happy for detroit? 

will the good people of tampa applaud if newark's give away wins the day?   get real...  

not just HB2.  remember the justice department told us all that NC is deliberately trying to keep black people from voting and being represented.   sad to say, but nc is anything but 'inclusive' right now.  

Very well then. Keep NC Amazon-free.

[BullDurhamer]

I believe the expression is "you reap what you sow".   

[Urbs42]

3 hours ago, BullDurhamer said:

fantasyland.

you really think atlanta would be happy for detroit? 

will the good people of tampa applaud if newark's give away wins the day?   get real...  

I’m arguing that national public opinion would reward Amazon for picking a city like Detroit, and it could benefit them politically. 

It’s cool if you don't agree... it's a message board.     

[Scribe]

Promo video for Charlotte HQ2 bid -

 

[CLT704]

I hate it . It is so cringe worthy.