Amazon HQ2

[deleted]

3 hours ago, JBS said:

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...

1 hour ago, kermit said:

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.

Which is exactly why I only mentioned Raleigh, Columbus, Indianapolis, Nashville and Austin in my post...?

[Cadi40]

3 hours ago, CLT704 said:

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.

How did Charlotte loose its edge? It's a city many desire and is growing exponentially. 

[CLT704]

^ That's an easy question to answer lol. I'll sum it up like this: we're were the shining beacon of the New South (second largest banking/financial hub; a progressive state policies etc), we're were the unbeatable city than most Southern cities envied and now we are beating beaten by Raleigh and Nashville. They are catching up to, if not overtaking, us. 

 

EDIT: Don't get me wrong, I know we are growing city and I love CLT as much as any of you, but I just feel as though we aren't the Queen of the New South. 

Edited January 18, 2018 by CLT704

[Dale]

1 minute ago, CLT704 said:

^ That's an easy question to answer lol. I'll sum it up like this: we're were the shining beacon of the New South (second largest banking/financial hub; a progressive state policies etc), we're were the unbeatable city than most Southern cities envied and now we are beating beaten by Raleigh and Nashville. They are catching up to, if not overtaking, us. 

We're beginning to lose out to more conservative Metros like Nashville and Raleigh.

[Cadi40]

1 minute ago, CLT704 said:

^ That's an easy question to answer lol. I'll sum it up like this: we're were the shining beacon of the New South (second largest banking/financial hub; a progressive state policies etc), we're were the unbeatable city than most Southern cities envied and now we are beating beaten by Raleigh and Nashville. They are catching up to, if not overtaking, us. 

https://www.bisnow.com/charlotte/news/construction-development/the-new-it-city-does-charlotte-beat-nashville-81423

"While Nashville may be peaking, Charlotte is on the rise"

Just because we lost a corporate headquarters does not mean we are begging to lose out to more, It means we are still finding our footing. Charlotte is going to continue to grow larger then Nashville and Raleigh. Charlotte is predicted to be the fastest growing City in 2040, I know those are predictions but they are insight into what analysts think will happen. Charlotte is a working city and will grow in popularity as it grows. I was the first out of my family to move here from Miami, And I looked at Raleigh and thought it was a little too small. After I moved, My whole family followed and they say they wouldn't rather live anywhere else, And I agree IMHO.

[ah59396]

3 minutes ago, Dale said:

We're beginning to lose out to more conservative Metros like Nashville and Raleigh.

Dale I’ve got a challenge for you.  Try to go a whole day without injecting your political opinion into a thread.  It’d be a miracle.

[Dale]

3 minutes ago, ah59396 said:

Dale I’ve got a challenge for you.  Try to go a whole day without injecting your political opinion into a thread.  It’d be a miracle.

Yeah, I see how you jump all over progressive conveyances like a cat in heat.

 

[CLT704]

9 minutes ago, Cadi40 said:

https://www.bisnow.com/charlotte/news/construction-development/the-new-it-city-does-charlotte-beat-nashville-81423

"While Nashville may be peaking, Charlotte is on the rise"

Just because we lost a corporate headquarters does not mean we are begging to lose out to more, It means we are still finding our footing. Charlotte is going to continue to grow larger then Nashville and Raleigh. Charlotte is predicted to be the fastest growing City in 2040, I know those are predictions but they are insight into what analysts think will happen. Charlotte is a working city and will grow in popularity as it grows. I was the first out of my family to move here from Miami, And I looked at Raleigh and thought it was a little too small. After I moved, My whole family followed and they say they wouldn't rather live anywhere else, And I agree IMHO.

Your enthusiasm, admiration and defense of Charlotte is fantastic but you have to face facts: Charlotte is not as desirable as Nashville and Raleigh and this has and will continue to affect us as a city. We have less F500 companies HQ'd here than before,  we have a stigma as a boring banking town, we have little culture and entertainment, we are not a tourist city like Nashville, we are being strangled by the NCGA (now I will admit I tend to vote Democratic but I have occasionally voted GOP in the past). Our city is characterised by boring apartments that are destroying what little culture we have left with companies overlooking us for smaller cities. 

It is undeniable that we are being caught up to by Nashville and Raleigh. In fact, I am becoming more and more jealous of Nashville; the amount of growth they're experiencing is amazing. 

Edited January 18, 2018 by CLT704

[deleted]

2 minutes ago, Dale said:

Yeah, I see how you jump all over progressive conveyances like a cat in heat.

You've got a point (not so much with ah59396 but with the board overall).  It's definitely safer to voice liberal opinions here.  That said, with a few exceptions, they are typically more subtle and nuanced (and having something to do with the topic being discussed).  For some reason, the conservatives on the board seem to relish picking fights or arguing for arguments sake.  And I'm right of center...    

[Ilm2clt]

It may be partially because nashville and raleigh are both state capitals. 

[15895]

12 minutes ago, CLT704 said:

Your enthusiasm, admiration and defense of Charlotte is fantastic but you have to face facts: Charlotte is not as desirable as Nashville and Raleigh and this has and will continue to affect us as a city. We have less F500 companies HQ'd here than before,  we have a stigma as a boring banking town, we have little culture and entertainment, we are not a tourist city like Nashville, we are being strangled by the NCGA (now I will admit I tend to vote Democratic but I have occasionally voted GOP in the past). 

It is undeniable that we are being caught up to by Nashville and Raleigh. In fact, I am becoming more and more jealous of Nashville; the amount of growth they're experiencing is amazing. 

? 

It’s getting a little cynical. They’re the hot little cities right now. Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Charlotte are more established. Charlottes been booming 15 years before Nashville and Raleigh took off. 

 

Atlanta never gets mentioned in these rankings list, Atlanta loses out to Charlotte and other southern cities and ATL has been “losing” ground from CLT, Raleigh, Nashville, Austin.

Houston didn’t make HQ2, Austin did. Austin is always rated higher and growing faster than Houston. But soon there’ll be the next Austin. 

Stop being cynical. Development wise, even. Look at this cool little chart: http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?

i don’t see nashville catching up development wise. We are adding just as many towers. Raleigh has a longgg way to go to catch up. And IMO Charlotte is kicking it into high gear in developmemt growing bigger and bigger than Raleigh each year. 

Edited January 18, 2018 by AirNostrumMAD

[deleted]

4 minutes ago, CLT704 said:

Your enthusiasm, admiration and defense of Charlotte is fantastic but you have to face facts: Charlotte is not as desirable as Nashville and Raleigh and this has and will continue to affect us as a city.

 

4 minutes ago, CLT704 said:

It is undeniable that we are being caught up to by Nashville and Raleigh.

I like Nashville (Raleigh not so much) but I find Charlotte more desirable.  I like the river and the topography better in Nashville.  If I was a millennial I might prefer the music and bar scene.  As a decrepit 48 year old, I prefer Charlotte's downtown (Nashville reminds me of Myrtle Beach or Gatlinburg).  I also like the proximity to the beach and mountains and the weather here.  I think people are different but I think it's inaccurate to definitively say that Charlotte isn't as desirable as those two cities.  

[Dale]

7 minutes ago, JBS said:

You've got a point (not so much with ah59396 but with the board overall).  It's definitely safer to voice liberal opinions here.  That said, with a few exceptions, they are typically more subtle and nuanced (and having something to do with the topic being discussed).  For some reason, the conservatives on the board seem to relish picking fights or arguing for arguments sake.  And I'm right of center...    

I'm a libertarian, which is why I so objected to the Charlotte city council's actions. My point here: I think all this "Could it be HB2 ?" "Well then, what about Raleigh ?" "Well, isn't HB2 attached to Charlotte ?" is ironic in the light of more conservative cities making the cut where Charlotte didn't. Translation: HB2 is not a factor.

[deleted]

1 minute ago, Dale said:

I'm a libertarian, which is why I so objected to the Charlotte city council's actions. My point here: I think all this "Could it be HB2 ?" "Well then, what about Raleigh ?" "Well, isn't HB2 attached to Charlotte ?" is ironic in the light of more conservative cities making the cut where Charlotte didn't. Translation: HB2 is not a factor.

Reasonable (and agree that HB2 not a factor in Amazon's decision).  Now, back to Amazon HQ2...

[15895]

 

 

Raleigh

Pros: Part of an existing tech hub; offers cheap housing, good quality of life and the chance for Amazon to put its stamp on a city in a way that it couldn’t in more established metros.

Cons: Clashes over gender identity and other hot political issues suggest North Carolina is still struggling over its own identity.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-18/amazon-ignites-fight-for-hq2-here-s-how-20-contenders-stack-up

 

Pittsburgh

Pros: Home to top AI and robotics university Carnegie Mellon, which have already drawn top tech companies like Google and Uber. Close to major distribution hubs in the middle of the country.

Cons: It’s far from other major cities and tech hubs.

 

Nashville

Pros: Good universities, no Tennessee income tax and fame as the country music capital of the world have already made the city popular with major employers.

Cons: Like Austin and Denver, the city has already succeeded in convincing companies to relocate, and the local housing market has struggled to keep up with the flood of new workers.

 

 

 

———————-

 

So basically, universities and being cheap is how smaller metros got it and having a tech force. 

It mentioned Raleigh not being established as a pro. 

The same people who have lectured the board for months now on why HQ2 wouldn’t be good for CLT anyway are the ones having meltdowns right now. 

 

And LOL at the HB2 reason because of the current discussion here

Edited January 18, 2018 by AirNostrumMAD

[JorgiPorgi]

1 hour ago, CLT704 said:

Your enthusiasm, admiration and defense of Charlotte is fantastic but you have to face facts: Charlotte is not as desirable as Nashville and Raleigh and this has and will continue to affect us as a city. We have less F500 companies HQ'd here than before,  we have a stigma as a boring banking town, we have little culture and entertainment, we are not a tourist city like Nashville, we are being strangled by the NCGA (now I will admit I tend to vote Democratic but I have occasionally voted GOP in the past). Our city is characterised by boring apartments that are destroying what little culture we have left with companies overlooking us for smaller cities. 

It is undeniable that we are being caught up to by Nashville and Raleigh. In fact, I am becoming more and more jealous of Nashville; the amount of growth they're experiencing is amazing. 

Your opinions are not facts. Charlotte continues to outpace Nashville and Raleigh.   Nashville is more cultured and is a tourist town. However Charlotte has and will continue to develop its own culture. Everyone I work with is not from here, and they love it here.  Nashville’s culture and tourism Is really the only thing it has on Charlotte. The fact is, people are moving to Charlotte at a faster and faster pace. Companies are still growing here. Charlotte does not need Amazon HQ2 to continue its growth. From the outside, all of nashville’s Condo towers are fantastic and are really shaping the city’s skyline(mostly short boxes) but still. They have had a great round of growth. But fact is, they aren’t poised to catch up to Charlotte. In fact, Charlotte will continue its growth at a faster pace. 

LOL at the dramatic meltdowns right now. We knew this would happen. We also know that this won’t effect Charlotte’s growth. The “Charlotte is dying, and Nashville is better” just because you are mad we lost our, is lame. Charlotte will continue to grow, with or without Amazon. We all know it. So, get over it. 

[Cadi40]

Charlotte's probably better of with out HQ2, It means we can continue to share entrepreneurship and corporate headquarters in balance. If HQ2 Came here, I think that would make it harder for local businesses. Charlotte will continue to grow and develop it's own culture. Charlotte is reliable in growth and is going to continue to be home to more entertainment and tourism as we grow larger. 25 Years ago Atlanta was not as big as a tourist destination as it is today, Now think of Charlotte as Atlanta (Just an example, I am not one of the people who believe Charlotte will be the next Atlanta).

[lewy2000]

While I never felt like Charlotte had a legit shot, we certainly didn’t do ourselves any favors by focusing on our “edginess.”

Whoever came up with that game plan certainly doesn’t understand this city and the value it could bring to companies like Amazon. They probably dismissed our bid for being disingenuous.

Apparently we are the “stable genius” of HQ2 submissions.

 

[KJHburg]

I have said all along I didnt think this was Charlotte's to have. However I certainly don't think Nashville, Miami or Raleigh will get it either.  (and after extensive trips to Nashville and Raleigh as much as I love country music I would choose Raleigh any day to live and work)   Now since some of regional peers like Atlanta, Raleigh and Nashville are on the list then Charlotte go after any business with gusto that is considering them and say this>  Do you really want to compete with Amazon for talent and compete for office space etc.?  I think you will see some major announcements forth coming in Charlotte while these other cities chase a windmill.   Only one city will be chosen and I can not see any metro area smaller than Seattle getting it so that leaves Atlanta, Dallas, DC, Boston etc.  

Charlotte needs to be the best city we can be and look at our city in the last 20 years and not a nary a Amazon job just warehouse jobs.   Lets go after Alliance Bernstein, BMW NJ headquarters, Campbell Soup would bought Synder Lance and lets go after Wells Fargo.  All those states are much higher taxes and cost of living than we.   I am not one bit worried after the future of Charlotte not one iota. 

Edited January 18, 2018 by KJHburg

[atlrvr]

My sole concern in not making the short list, is how many companies planning to open offices will assume Amazon did a great job vetting the best markets, and use the finalist list as their starting point when the do their own search???

[KJHburg]

^^ amazon's search was so UNconventional in the economic development world I don't think it will have any affect that suddenly people will think oh Charlotte did not make so lets cross them off.   I am telling you we will now be players for companies considering some of these 20 cities that do not  want to compete with Amazon for talent in their market.

anyway here is my roundup from Business Journals across the country about this and look at how they are thinking they have the IN with amazon.

Amazon expects to make a final decision sometime this year, said Holly Sullivan, an executive in Amazon's public policy division. [An interesting side note: From 1999 to 2012, Sullivan (then Holly Sears) worked in planning and economic development for Wilson County and then Rutherford County, before heading to the East Coast.]   NASHVILLE Business Journal 

 Of the 20 cities highlighted in Amazon's shortlist, which includes Nashville, 16 are east of the Mississippi River, and seven of those locations are clustered in and around a short radius of roughly 300 miles stemming from the nation's capital. No surprise, Washington, D.C., also happens to be a fast-emerging power center for Amazon's founding father: Jeff Bezos.  NASHVILLE Business Journal

About 900 are already working out of an office at The Domain in North Austin, working on diverse projects from Amazon Web Services to the Amazon.com website, Amazon Business, sales, the Alexa intelligent personal assistant and more.  AUSTIN Business Journal  home of Whole Foods that amazon bought of course. 

That starts with the premise that the HQ2 project should now be a North Carolina effort – not just the Triangle.   TRIANGLE Business Journal

First, we need to enlist the leaders of the state's largest public companies – Brian Moynihan of Bank of America, Kelly King of BB&T, Robert Niblock of Lowe's Companies and Lynn Good of Duke Energy – to play an active role as we embark on our recruitment pitch in the second round. These executives cannot just lend us their names – they need to be in as many meetings as possible to help the state. If North Carolina lands the Amazon project, everyone benefits.   TRIANGLE Business Journal

And the local universities – cited in virtually every report that lists the Triangle as a contender – are another big draw.   “North Carolina scored high in all areas,” he says.  While CNBC ranked Nashville, Tennessee – which also made the shortlist – second, a closer look at the data shows that, when it came to just talent, they had a failing grade, he notes.    TRIANGLE Business Journal

Greater Washington has three finalists on the short list of 20? Or, as MarketWatch.com noted, 15 percent of the finalists slots? WASHINGTON Business Journal

Holly Sullivan of Amazon.com Inc.’s Public Policy office is quoted prominently in the HQ2 short list release, the official announcement that 20 North American communities have a shot at the company’s second headquarters. The list includes Montgomery County, where Sullivan's name may ring familiar. Now head of worldwide economic development at Amazon Public Policy, she previously held the role of president of the Montgomery Business Development Corp.  WASHINGTON Business Journal

Jerry Gordon, CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said he expects Amazon to narrow down the list to just a handful over the summer, and if Fairfax is still on the list and D.C. and Montgomery are not, he would expect them to help craft a bid stressing the region's strengths. He said he would do the same if the situation were reversed. But Victor Hoskins, director of Arlington Economic Development, sounded a more collaborative tone. "No other region in the county got three selections, we are the only cluster, so what this illustrates to me is that our region is powerfully valuable to the future of Amazon," he said. "The way that we’re viewing this, the greatest opportunity is how do we sell this region to Amazon? How do we cooperatively work and at the same time compete?"   WASHINGTON Business Journal

Brian Leary, president of commercial and mixed use at Crescent Communities, expressed similar sentiments. He said he was disappointed, but not surprised, that Charlotte was left off the list. "Sending 22 different options, spreading it thin across the board, I’m not so sure that was a really strong approach," he said. He added, though, that he doesn't know much about the local bid and whether that might have impacted Charlotte's chances.  "How are we positioning ourselves to be competitive day in and day out?" Leary said. "It’s not just when we’re chasing the big whale. Companies are following talent and people. If we can win hearts and minds of talented people and their friends, and this is a place where people want to go ... we are going to win things like this future." CHARLOTTE Business Journal 

Now lets go after Apples new office and they have a $1 billion investment just 40 miles away in Maiden which might help Charlotte's chances who knows. 

 

Edited January 19, 2018 by KJHburg

[TheOneRJ]

[15895]

The Raleigh boards are lit with so much glee they are on a list of 20 and not CLT.  

 

While obviously it’s better to be on the list than not, I’m just like. All the fanfare over beating out Charlotte? Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think were roles reversed (particularly if this were for a Finance HQ) Charlotteans would be hee hawing over Raleigh not being on a list of 20 that it’s not likely to get.

 

 

[deleted]

17 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

The Raleigh boards are lit with so much glee they are on a list of 20 and not CLT.  

 

While obviously it’s better to be on the list than not, I’m just like. All the fanfare over beating out Charlotte? Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think were roles reversed (particularly if this were for a Finance HQ) Charlotteans would be hee hawing over Raleigh not being on a list of 20 that it’s not likely to get.

 

 

And on Charlotte boards, most of us wish them well in their unlikely pursuit of HQ2.  Big brother/little brother thing.  I hope they win, sincerely.  I'd still rather live here...

[Cadi40]

I'm just going to be happy when they pick a place to land their extra traffic and higher housing prices. I think it is utterly wrong to make cities bow to you and really milk them for incentives. Companies should work where they think it's ethical and best for them with incentives still a worry but not using cities to turn on each other and have a fight to the death. Apple is doing this better, They just announced it but at this time they aren't accepting bids or releasing any additional information on their new campus.   

Edited January 19, 2018 by Cadi40