Amazon HQ2 thread

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by cabasse

i know you chicagoans love your casseroles

what's a casserole?

this is the kind of pizza that chicagoans eat:


source: http://www.sptsb.com/vitonicks.htm

[McBane]

I don't know where this thread is going but don't talk smack about deep dish pizza. It's amazing and I wish this style of pizza was more widespread (beyond Uno chains). Although, from I understand, people who actually live in Chicago typically only eat deep dish when they have out-of-town guests (which is what I think Steely Dan is alluding to in his post).

[C.]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

what's a casserole?

this is the kind of pizza that chicagoans eat:


source: http://www.sptsb.com/vitonicks.htm

YUM! i NEED TO HEAD BACK TO cHICAGO SOON!

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

If Bezos likes shitty pizza Soul / Southern Food, he will choose Atlanta.

fyp

The Atlanta bashing is childish and getting old.

[cannedairspray]

Originally Posted by McBane

I don't know where this thread is going but don't talk smack about deep dish pizza. It's amazing and I wish this style of pizza was more widespread (beyond Uno chains). Although, from I understand, people who actually live in Chicago typically only eat deep dish when they have out-of-town guests (which is what I think Steely Dan is alluding to in his post).

It's just another type of food, but it doesn't define the entire pizza experience. When I lived there, I probably ate deep dish a little more than most people, because Chicago's on north Lincoln delivers til at least 4, maybe 5.

[chicubs111]

Secret’s out: Amazon team to visit Chicago next week amid cloak-and-dagger preps


https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago...agger-secrecy/

[Omaharocks]

Poor timing for Chicago. Mid-late March in the great lakes area is not a flattering look.

[chicubs111]

^ you honestly think amazon reps (or anyone with half a brain) don't know that its March and what the midwest weather is like during this season?..and how that would even just change there mind for Chicago as a serious contender?...come on with the ridiculously dumb comments

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Omaharocks

Poor timing for Chicago. Mid-late March in the great lakes area is not a flattering look.

In all fairness, unless it happens to snow, I don't think Chicago's weather will be anything they're not used to in Seattle during the winter (in fact, it may even be less gloomy).

[LouisVanDerWright]

PS it's been 45 and sunny for like two weeks in Chicago. Amazon isn't shopping for a honeymoon destination, they are searching for a HQ2...

[austin242]

Well if they came to Austin today it was 80 and sunny. People were all about and sxsw is going on so plenty of live music everywhere. Sadly for Chicago the weather will affect their decision on a subconscious level. Anyone who says it won't make even a slight difference is kidding themselves. They are choosing a city for everything. Now business is probably number one but that includes what employees they can attract and that does include climate.

[Eightball]

Originally Posted by JManc

^ that's probably the stupidest reason I can think of for not wanting them.

Oh hey look White people are clueless again. Shocker!

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Eightball

Oh hey look White people are clueless again. Shocker!

Yep!

[The ATX]

That's enough. We'll wait for some real news before re-opening.

[C.]

Sorry, Newark.

https://dc.curbed.com/2018/4/6/17206...tax-incentives

Before, the most generous tax incentive package revealed for attaining Amazon’s second headquarters, otherwise known as HQ2, was New Jersey’s approximately $7 billion package. In a new article by WAMU, it appears that Maryland may actually be in the lead. While Governor Larry Hogan introduced the state’s incentives as totaling $5 billion—$3 billion for tax breaks and $2 billion for transportation upgrades—a legislative analysis concluded that it might actually be up to $8.5 billion.

Despite this, it’s worth noting that tax incentive packages for many jurisdictions are still kept under wraps, so it is possible that there may be another state or city that is offering more than Maryland. Even D.C. has been silent about what they are offering the tech company.

To account for the large difference in Maryland’s tax incentive estimates, WAMU shared a Fiscal and Policy Note from the General Assembly’s Department of Legislative Services, which reads:

“Most of this difference reflects the lower estimated impact of the income tax credit by [the Maryland Department of Commerce], which projects that the company receiving the benefits proposed by the bill will not increase the average salary paid to qualified positions over the 25-year period. This represents a real salary decrease of about 40 percent over that time period.”

Additionally, Hogan’s office’s estimates did not take into account wage hikes that could occur over the following 25 years.

Allison Mayer, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Commerce, challenged the $8.5 billion estimate, telling WAMU, “There is information that they don’t have access to,” which the General Assembly’s Fiscal and Policy Note states is true.

The incentive package has already made it through both the Senate and House.

[jd3189]

Should open up that Amazon thread again for this news. Although I'm still waiting for them to actually choose some city so that we can be done with this foolishness.

[James Bond Agent 007]

We're going to TRY to open this thread again.

Some recent news:

Amazon has finished visiting the top 20 contenders for its new HQ

Amazon has completed the process of visiting all 20 cities that are finalists in the e-commerce giant's search for a second headquarters, sources close to the process told NBC News on Wednesday.

This pushes the Seattle-based company one step further in deciding which city will become “HQ2,” a move that would net a $5 billion investment and as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs, according to Amazon.

And, apparently a site in Arlington, TX is out of the bidding, though Dallas itself is still a contender.

A second headquarters for Amazon? It won't be in Arlington

The city of Arlington offered Globe Life Park as a potential site for Amazon's HQ2 — along with potentially $921 million in incentives — but on Tuesday the city revealed it has been eliminated in its bid for the online retailer's second headquarters.

Arlington said in a news release it is "no longer moving forward" in the selection process but noted that it was invited to make an in-person pitch and provide a site visit for HQ2. Arlington was part of a DFW area bid submitted by the Dallas Regional Chamber.

Arlington officials found out about two weeks ago that the city didn't make the shortlist as Amazon narrowed the field. Other sites in DFW made the cut.

[10023]

Aren’t we all pretty sure it’s DC at this point?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by 10023

Aren’t we all pretty sure it’s DC at this point?

I see this all over the place, but I don't know what solid evidence people have. I mean, people sometimes point to the whole "three finalists" thing. But as the information from the recent article where Arlington, TX was shot down shows, each of the "finalists" actually encompassed a wide array of options within an MSA in the core city and suburbs. The difference for DC/NYC is in those cases the metros sprawled into multiple states, which could all bring different incentives to the table. Therefore it didn't make sense to lump Newark with NYC, or Lump NOVA and Montgomery County with DC.

I'm not saying I'll be surprised if it happens, but the DC area has three major strikes against it.

1. Not cheaper than Seattle.
2. Healthy employment base means Amazon can't dominate local politics.
3. NOVA/MD sites are not urban, and they seem to be leaning towards an urban campus.

[initiald]

Looks like Apple has decided on Raleigh for their HQ2 with up to 10,000 jobs - now Amazon is at the plate. Would be nice if we could get Amazon HQ2 as well!