Amazon HQ2

[caterpillar2]

2 hours ago, ah59396 said:

And yet we rank 71st in terms of educated cities, among major metros in the US, according to WalletHub.

DC, Austin, Boston, Denver, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Baltimore all crack the top 20.

https://wallethub.com/edu/most-and-least-educated-cities/6656/#methodology

 

 My cousin in Providence, R.I. (a professor at Browns) will go nuts when he sees that Charlotte is nicely ahead of their #84 position.  I am shocked too.  Seems as if everyone there has a degree. 

Edited September 15, 2017 by caterpillar2

[CLT704]

https://www.bisnow.com/charlotte/news/office/don-peebles-may-try-and-lure-amazon-to-charlotte-79164?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

^This is interesting. Whilst I prefer the idea of Amazon building on Levine Land, this would definitely help Second Ward get going.

 

https://www.geekwire.com/2017/amazon-build-hq2-let-data-decide/

^Geekwire ranks as 8th in line- thats better than other articles/opinions on HQ2.

 

Also mentioned in: https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/17/09/10044596/a-canadian-city-is-technically-the-best-fit-for-amazons-hq2

Edited September 15, 2017 by CLT704

[ah59396]

17 minutes ago, CLT704 said:

https://www.bisnow.com/charlotte/news/office/don-peebles-may-try-and-lure-amazon-to-charlotte-79164?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

^This is interesting. Whilst I prefer the idea of Amazon building on Levine Land, this would definitely help Second Ward get going.

 

https://www.geekwire.com/2017/amazon-build-hq2-let-data-decide/

^Geekwire ranks as 8th in line- thats better than other articles/opinions on HQ2.

 

Also mentioned in: https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/17/09/10044596/a-canadian-city-is-technically-the-best-fit-for-amazons-hq2

If you look at Geekwires methodology, it takes the average of the ranked categories.  We benefit by not having a transit rank, skewing our score up quite a bit.  Dallas and Houston rank in the 30's and have more comprehensive rail networks than us, which leads me to assume we would have a ranking in the high 30's/low 40'.

 

If you said or transit score was 40th, our average drops to 24.2.  And places us in 23rd overall between Detroit and Kansas City.

 

Why don't we ever have a transit ranking in these things???

[RALNATIVE]

17 hours ago, CLT2014 said:

Charlotte doesn't have nearly enough homeless people. We'd need about 10,000 more. THEN we'd be a mini Seattle.

Seattle had the original skid row.

[jednc]

23 hours ago, ah59396 said:

  Just playing red team here.

1

Doesn't everyone on the red team die though except Luke and R2?

[KJHburg]

The view from Geekwire about whether they might not even accept any city! https://www.geekwire.com/2017/seattle-isnt-likely-submit-proposal-amazons-second-headquarters-even-symbolic-gesture/

"Buried at the end of the RFP, Amazon says it “may select one or more proposals and negotiate with the parties submitting such proposals before making an award decision, or it may select no proposals and enter into no agreement.”

[jednc]

On 9/14/2017 at 5:55 PM, cjd5050 said:

Dell Inc. was a multinational computer technology company based in Round Rock, Texas and, along with Dell EMC, is a subsidiary of Dell Technologies, one of the largest technology companies in the world with 138,000 employees.

It won't embed...

https://youtu.be/sZi1Ouc4Wtk

[jednc]

10 hours ago, caterpillar2 said:

Fortunately for us Carolinians, Raleigh and area is the new Silicone Valley. 

1

Especially for the Carolinians who like breast implants...

[caterpillar2]

5 minutes ago, jednc said:

Especially for the Carolinians who like breast implants...

I somewhat agree. It is just that I like chewing on the real thing. 

[CLT2014]

To bring up demographics, Amazon would also be pragmatic to look at the future Generation Z who will be their 20-30 year tech base for this new campus. At peak build out the millenial generation will be in their mid to late 30's and reaching mid level manager status. Whether Gen Z is going to behave the same as targeting an office to recruit millenials will be interesting.

So far, data indicates Gen Z was a much larger supporter of Trump than millenials (of thise voting age), is much more religous (attends church at twice the rate of millenials and Gen X), more fiscally conservative, and enjoy family life at home. The way they impact cities as they enter their mid 20's will be fascinating and Amazon will need to plan for this campus to be made of more senior millenials as managers and Gen Z as the worker bees.

It will be interesting to see how the two generations work together once in the office and the first Gen Z graduate college.

Edited September 16, 2017 by CLT2014

[BullDurhamer]

amazon will be going to a modern and progressive city.  worrying about a trump voting population will not be an issue.  perhaps that's a concern in north carolina, but not in other parts of the country that have a better understanding of facts.  

 

 

Edited September 16, 2017 by BullDurhamer

[cjd5050]

I know San Diego is not going to get Amazon but I read something interesting that made me think of this.  20 years ago yesterday Google.com was registered.  20 years it went from an idea to what it is and the size it is today.  That's kinda crazy. 

 

[Matthew.Brendan]

That's what I love most about technology. Try and guess what 20 years from now will be like

[Popsickle]

1 hour ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

That's what I love most about technology. Try and guess what 20 years from now will be like

Sex dolls murdering people in the streets 

[Cadi40]

In my opinion, Charlotte has a good shot. If Amazon did choose somewhere near Downtown, Charlotte would ramp up their efforts on Tranist. I wouldn't listen to those news articles, In the end Amazon is unpredictable and isn't basing their decision off of any of the articles. 

[nowensone]

If they're thinking long term, they will want to stay away from coastal cities, $5+ billion is a lot of investment.  Posting a cool  flood map site I found in the Coffee house.

[Cadi40]

1 minute ago, nowensone said:

If they're thinking long term, they will want to stay away from coastal cities, $5+ billion is a lot of investment.  Posting a cool  flood map site I found in the Coffee house.

Luckily for us, We are roughly 700 Feet above sea level. 

[KJHburg]

and uptown Charlotte is the highest land around especially in the vacant acreage of 1st Ward.  What other large US city has that much vacant land immediately adjacent to its urban core like we do? None I can think of. 

[Cadi40]

I don't know why all of the articles describe Charlotte as not having as strong as a culture scene as other cities and they make Charlotte sound like it has nothing to do, Meanwhile Amazon itself describes Charlotte as having a Strong Culture scene with many dining and entertainment options to explore.

https://www.amazon.jobs/en/locations/charlotte-northcarolina?base_query=&loc_query=&job_count=10&result_limit=10&sort=relevant&location[]=charlotte-northcarolina&cache

[KJHburg]

Your latest Amazon new HQ2 article of the day from todays Wall St Journal http://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/TDJNDN_20170916111/amazon-hopes-its-culture-travels-well-wsj.html   They seem to keep a tight wrap on how pizzas staff orders (not kidding) and some people are working on something that someone else in the same building is working on but neither knows about the other.  Interesting. 

[Popsickle]

50 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

Your latest Amazon new HQ2 article of the day from todays Wall St Journal http://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/TDJNDN_20170916111/amazon-hopes-its-culture-travels-well-wsj.html   They seem to keep a tight wrap on how pizzas staff orders (not kidding) and some people are working on something that someone else in the same building is working on but neither knows about the other.  Interesting. 

Looks like I'll only be working with one other person then, "...Managers know that the optimal size of a team is one that can be fed on two pizzas. "

But on a serious note, when I was younger I use to work in a similar environment, small teams within a company, working independently, often competing against each other, with little concern for the other team's activities.  I loved it and I miss that environment to this day.  There was always an internal "competition" between the teams, wanting to be the best.  Individuals would take more responsibility, spend more time working (even their "off-time" to improve their understanding of a concept) and are far more productive IMO.

“You get paid for the seven and a half hours a day you put in here,” Kelly often told new Bell Labs employees in his speech to them on their first day, “but you get your raises and promotions on what you do in the other sixteen and a half hours.”
― Jon Gertner, The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation

 

P.S. If anybody is looking for a book recommendation, I highly recommend The Idea Factory

[southslider]

Charlotte's greatest built-in advantage is FinTech.  The e-commerce giant needs more than Whole Foods to keep growing.  And if the retail-killer is also becoming a bank-killer, then Bank Town may as well sleep with the enemy to keep jobs.

[QCxpat]

19 hours ago, KJHburg said:

and uptown Charlotte is the highest land around especially in the vacant acreage of 1st Ward.  What other large US city has that much vacant land immediately adjacent to its urban core like we do? None I can think of. 

Agree with @KJHburg; can't think of any major American city with as much "vacant acreage" (surface parking lots) adjacent to its core.  As we all know, the bleak Levine wasteland that exists in First and Second Wards is the legacy of late 60's / early 70's "urban renewal" in Charlotte.   It's taken more than 4 decades for life, spirit, and entrepreneurship to begin to sprout in our own No Man's Land.   What's new and heart-warming  is that, finally, there are numerous signs of vigorous life in the midst of all that vacant land, viz., (i) the amazing Stonewall corridor in Second Ward,  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article116668438.html; (ii) the Library redevelopment in First Ward, http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article138276948.html; and (iii) the proposed mixed-used Lennar development in First Ward, http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article132644364.html.   Regarding Amazon's space needs, The New York Times Upshot column (09/09/2017) said:  "It’s hard to imagine where the Boston region would find the room for a company that will ultimately want up to eight million square feet of office space (the Pentagon, for comparison, has 6.6 million).  Mayor Marty Walsh also said on Thursday that Boston is “not going to get into a bidding war with another city over something like this.” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/09/upshot/where-should-amazon-new-headquarters-be.html?mcubz=0   And it’s pretty clear that a bidding war is what Amazon wants. "  Well, Boston may want to play hard to get, but Charlotte has the can do spirit, the "vacant acreage," the smarts, the vision, the dynamism, the determination, and the entrepreneurial energy to become Amazon's HQ2.   

Edited September 17, 2017 by QCxpat
American city

[caterpillar2]

1 hour ago, QCxpat said:

Agree with @ KJHburg; can't think of any major American city with as much "vacant acreage" (surface parking lots) adjacent to its core.  As we all know, the bleak Levine wasteland that exists in First and Second Wards is the legacy of late 60's / early 70's "urban renewal" in Charlotte.   It's taken more than 4 decades for life, spirit, and entrepreneurship to begin to sprout in our own No Man's Land.   What's new and heart-warming  is that, finally, there are numerous signs of vigorous life in the midst of all that vacant land, viz., (i) the amazing Stonewall corridor in Second Ward,  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article116668438.html; (ii) the Library redevelopment in First Ward, http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article138276948.html; and (iii) the proposed mixed-used Lennar development in First Ward, http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article132644364.html.   Regarding Amazon's space needs, The New York Times Upshot column (09/09/2017) said:  "It’s hard to imagine where the Boston region would find the room for a company that will ultimately want up to eight million square feet of office space (the Pentagon, for comparison, has 6.6 million).  Mayor Marty Walsh also said on Thursday that Boston is “not going to get into a bidding war with another city over something like this.” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/09/upshot/where-should-amazon-new-headquarters-be.html?mcubz=0   And it’s pretty clear that a bidding war is what Amazon wants. "  Well, Boston may want to play hard to get, but Charlotte has the can do spirit, the "vacant acreage," the smarts, the vision, the dynamism, the determination, and the entrepreneurial energy to become Amazon's HQ2.   

Most of the prospective cities are in suitable locations except for a couple, I believe that it will all boil down to tax breaks and other  incentives offered. Comparing what is required by Amazon, Charlotte is actually a very viable choice and as you say, there is plenty of "Vacant acreage" in the center of the city.  We are within a 12 hour drive from half of the population in the U.S. ( if you drive the speed limit.) 

[Cadi40]

I hope people realize that Charlotte may not be the best at Mass Transit at the moment, But if Amazon picked Charlotte, By the time Amazon HQ2 Opens it would have several more transit options. And I think we can rule out any West of the Mississippi Cities unless they bid and extremely high amount, NYC, Any Cities that are landlocked / Can't find room for HQ2, Cities that are prone to disasters or anything that might bring down the quality of life (High Crime, High Taxes, Etc.) In the end, Nobody is going to be able to predict where Amazon can go because Amazon's CEO tends to surprise everyone. Although, I think Charlotte is within the top 5 Cities that would work.

 

P.S. It's hard to believe how fast NC is growing with 3 Cities each bidding for Amazon, Raleigh/Durham, Charlotte, And the Triad. If Amazon chose any of these locations positive impacts would be felt all throughout the state.