Amazon HQ2

[KJHburg]

3 minutes ago, cmwilson24 said:

Amazon's biggest need with the new HQ is to attract and hire great tech talent.  They think they can get millennial/tech types to move to Nashville b/c it's cool and they think they can hire in RDU since there is a bigger tech presence  there already in addition to better universities relative to Charlotte.  It stinks because I think any millennial and/or tech types in RDU or at a college up there would move to CLT in a heartbeat to work for Amazon, so I don't think it's an actual advantage, but it's definitely a perceived advantage.  

I agree completely.  Plenty of graduates from all the universities in both Carolinas migrate to Charlotte (plus many from VA Tech and GA Tech) so that is something they might not understand.    Trust me Nashville is not going to get this but they have the IT factor.  

[KJHburg]

2 minutes ago, SgtCampsalot said:

Out of genuine curiosity, how would you describe that "it" factor?

The one thing I remember about my trip to Nashville was a ped alleyway of stores/bars that reminded me of that fourth ward converted mill with alley, and hearing music/karaoke from every single angle. Pretty awesome vibe on that street.

My niece goes to school there.  I am guessing it is the general live music scene (which remember Seattle has though Nashville's is completely different) and it is fast growing.  They do have Vanderbilt, Belmont Univ. etc but I really think it is the music industry.  The traffic is worse than Charlotte and their $8 Billion transit plan has yet to be voted on.  Remember only 1 out of the 20 will get it and others will be going after them possibly to the detriment of other relocation prospects.  That is where Charlotte can swoop in.  

[lewy2000]

7 Steps PSA...

[Cadi40]

Nashville is an Entertainment city, Not so much a working City. Charlotte is like a NYC, It will gain more entertainment and tourism options as it becomes bigger in Work. 

[Guest]

Just now, Cadi40 said:

Nashville is an Entertainment city, Not so much a working City. Charlotte is like a NYC, It will gain more entertainment and tourism options as it becomes bigger in Work. 

huh? NYC is the cultural/entertainment capital of the world. Always has been.

[Cadi40]

4 minutes ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

huh? NYC is the cultural/entertainment capital of the world. Always has been.

Not when the City first started, As it grew in size due to the job opportunities and work, It grew in Culture and Entertainment. I'm Not saying Charlotte will become NYC, But it will grow in Culture and Entertainment as the same with Nashville.

Edited January 18, 2018 by Cadi40

[jednc]

I say it was the narration in that crazy a$$ video we produced that knocked us out... 

Edited January 18, 2018 by jednc
us instead of is

[cityboi]

16 hours ago, CLT704 said:

Is it my imagination or is that article very Triangle orientated? I get its the Triangle Business Journal but it implies that NC Commerce is Triangle-biased. 

edit: it is even more apparent if you read the CLT Business Journal... 

What stands out is that the NC Commerce Secaratary is biasly pushing Raleigh forward for Apple. They want it all, Amazon and Apple. Amazon is unlikely but hypothetically speaking if Raleigh got both Apple and Amazon, its a game changer for that area. It would attract thousands of more spin off jobs eventually leading to a big jump in population there closing the gap between Raleigh and Charlotte. 

Edited January 18, 2018 by cityboi

[CLT2014]

Indianapolis and Columbus are interesting. Can't tell if some of these metros with 2 million or less people are included to provide some distractions from their true top 10 internal list. Like get the conversation going about cities with 2 million or less people, while Amazon focuses on negotiating with large cities like Boston, Philly, Atlanta, etc... 

This whole HQ2 thing is rooted in Amazon outgrowing a metro area of 3.8 million people. They are recruiting all over the western United States to fill positions with college grads because Washington can't produce all that talent internally. Seems like the metros smaller than 2.5 million people are just there as PR moves to show how hip Amazon is.

 

Edited January 18, 2018 by CLT2014

[elrodvt]

I would not count out Denver and Austin. More attractive to west coast folks and each with good tech resources.

[KJHburg]

^^^ In terms of Austin I read their city will not offer any incentives other than what the state of Texas would do.

I agree some of the smaller metros could be a ruse to get more dollars out of the true top 5 list.   

[gman430]

I feel like Raleigh is more of a tech city than Charlotte due to RTP and that’s probably why they got chosen over Charlotte. I see Amazon going to Boston though. 

[deleted]

I'm not mad we didn't make the short list but I'm mad that Columbus, Austin, Indy, Nashville and Raleigh did (even though I now want Raleigh to win...they won't).  I guess the transit part of the criteria wasn't important...

[cjd5050]

6 minutes ago, cityboi said:

What stands out is that the NC Commerce Secretary is biasly pushing Raleigh forward for Apple. They want it all, Amazon and Apple. Amazon is unlikely but hypothetically speaking if Raleigh got both Apple and Amazon, its a game changer for that area. It would attract thousands of more spin-off jobs eventually leading to a big jump in population there closing the gap between Raleigh and Charlotte. 

 

And that's a bad thing how?    Would you expect the Commerce Secretary to be unbiased between Charlotte and Raleigh if say US Bank wanted to open a 2nd HQ or relocate their HQ via a merger?  IMO, if the industry says Raleigh has it and Charlotte does not, then as a State (which is who the Commerce Secretary focuses on) we should try to go all in on making Raleigh a tech center on the East Coast.    Make lemonade!

While I want Charlotte to grow, at the same time, I want North Carolina to grow.   If there is a way for NC to evolve to being a tech and finance power on a national level then the spin-off benefits happen everywhere.  Heck, the Triad is not far behind Raleigh.   Put effort there in the sciences.   Finance<>Science<>Technolog,  all built on a foundation of manufacturing and logistics experience.  

I would much rather be a two-headed or three-headed dragon than a one-headed monster like Georgia.   It's Atlanta or bust there.    

 

 

[rancenc]

Well at least this particular topic site can be archived now! 

[CLT704]

I feel like Charlotte has lost its edge, if it even had one to begin with. I'm hurt by this TBH, I knew we wouldn't get it but I at least hoped we'd been on the shortlist. I feel as though our city is being out paced and out performed.

[krazeeboi]

Given the fact that cities not known to be quite as economically dynamic as Charlotte (yet still overall healthy) like Columbus, Indianapolis, and Miami made the short list but Charlotte didn't tells me one of two things: 1) Charlotte's weakness on the higher ed front was more of a liablity or 2) Charlotte's bid simply sucked.

[kermit]

I don't think there is any need for angst about Charlotte's assets -- should leaders in Houston, Minneapolis and San Francisco be concerned? Amazon just isn't going to a mid-sized city (as CLT2014 said above, they outgrew Seattle quickly, they almost certainly want to avoid doing that again).

Nashville, Columbus and Raleigh made the list simply as Stalking Horses. Amazon already knows what two or three places it might realistically land, the other 17 places are just there to fuel the bidding war (the three DC area sites betray Amazon's desire for a bidding war). From the 'upping the ante' perspective Raleigh is a better choice than Charlotte since it will certainly get more love / dollars from the NCGA than Charlotte would.

Edited January 18, 2018 by kermit

[kermit]

3 hours ago, JBS said:

 I guess the transit part of the criteria wasn't important...

Really? I am not sure I see that.  Of the 20, only Raleigh, Columbus and Indianapolis lack some type of rail transit (admittedly Austin and Nashville's current rail sucks) and Columbus is the only city in the 20 that does not currently have plans for a rail or BRT transit buildout.

Having said that there is really no way to pass judgement on the impact of transit on the shortlist without knowing exactly what sites were put forward from each of the 20. In addition, I don't think there are 20 cities in the US (after you take away Seattle, Portland and San Francisco) that could be said to have good transit.

Edited January 18, 2018 by kermit

[ah59396]

I never expected Charlotte to get it, so this isn’t a huge shock.  However it’s a bit of a kick in the balls to see so many of what we consider our peer cities on the list.

Sometimes failure is a good thing, as it forces you to re-examine and reflect.  I’m hopeful that this is such an opportunity for our Business Chamber.

Some of the issues Charlotte has are outside anyone’s control, but most are.  There’s no reason the city should not have been in that top 20 aside from failure at some level.

[SydneyCarton]

2 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

Not when the City first started, As it grew in size due to the job opportunities and work, It grew in Culture and Entertainment. I'm Not saying Charlotte will become NYC, But it will grow in Culture and Entertainment as the same with Nashville.

In 1608 when the Dutch first arrived?   You're right.  It probably wasn't a cultural capital back then.

Charlotte is no less fun than the typical sunbelt city.   Nashville, like NOLA, is an exception to the rule.

[UPNoDa]

Anyone think HB2 had any influence?

[cjd5050]

4 minutes ago, UPNoDa said:

Anyone think HB2 had any influence?

How is that even possible?  HB2 was from the NCGA and it didn't stop them from including Raleigh.  

[UPNoDa]

True, but wasn't it tied mostly to Charlotte?

[Dale]

18 minutes ago, cjd5050 said:

How is that even possible?  HB2 was from the NCGA and it didn't stop them from including Raleigh.  

Some people probably want it to have made a difference.

"What, Charlotte ? It's just rednecks and skyscrapers." -- Jeff Bezos --