PHILADELPHIA | Schuylkill Yards Future Phases | 1,095 - 375 FT | 70 - 28 FLOORS

[iheartphilly]

It's on. Hopefully, this is just the processs to see all the places that made the 1st cut and that they will tour Philly soon rather than later.

Amazon tours Washington, Maryland and Virginia in search for new headquarters

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...-20180306.html

Noteworthy Excerpts from article:

“Amazon is working with each HQ2 candidate city to dive deeper on their proposals and share additional information about the company’s plans. We’re excited to visit each location and talk about how HQ2 could benefit our employees and the local community.”

"Amazon plans to make a selection by the end of this year. It is seeking 8 million square feet of office space to grow into over 10 years or more, including 500,000 square feet beginning in 2019."

[Castle]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

It's on. Hopefully, this is just the processs to see all the places that made the 1st cut and that they will tour Philly soon rather than later.

Amazon tours Washington, Maryland and Virginia in search for new headquarters

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...-20180306.html

I have it on very good authority that representatives from Amazon were here last week touring the potential Philly sites. What I found interesting, was that it wasn't at all publicized and that people directly involved with the tours were required to sign NDAs.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by Castle

I have it on very good authority that representatives from Amazon were here last week touring the potential Philly sites. What I found interesting, was that it wasn't at all publicized and that people directly involved with the tours were required to sign NDAs.

Hopefully they didn't go the Platt Bridge to 26th Street to i76 route from the Airport. Otherwise, Amazon may have hard passed right then... (I actually take out of town visitors I95/Callowhill/Sixth Street then down to Society Hill and across Spruce to get to my Fitler Square house.)

[Castle]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Hopefully they didn't go the Platt Bridge to 26th Street to i76 route from the Airport. Otherwise, Amazon may have hard passed right then... (I actually take out of town visitors I95/Callowhill/Sixth Street then down to Society Hill and across Spruce to get to my Fitler Square house.)

Yeah, I hope they took your preferred route.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Castle

I have it on very good authority that representatives from Amazon were here last week touring the potential Philly sites. What I found interesting, was that it wasn't at all publicized and that people directly involved with the tours were required to sign NDAs.

Nice. Good intel. Just wondered why the DC Metro area meeting was publicized and not ours? In any case, let's hope our people did an excellent job on wooing Amazon in person and they left with very positve strong feeling about the city and the potential sites.

[reparcsyks]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Hopefully they didn't go the Platt Bridge to 26th Street to i76 route from the Airport. Otherwise, Amazon may have hard passed right then... (I actually take out of town visitors I95/Callowhill/Sixth Street then down to Society Hill and across Spruce to get to my Fitler Square house.)

I started paying attention to the entrances to cities from airports. Most cities foolishly never think about the first impression their city makes from the airport to the downtown. What I've found is that most cities look pretty dreadful from the airport to the downtown. Barcelona. Austin. NYC. LA.

I could go on. We are in pretty good company for having an awful first-look experience. Hopefully Amazon's team is smart enough to realize that Philly is:

• A work in progress
• An old East Coast industrial city that grew out before people cared about the aesthetics of the outlying areas not in the downtown.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Hopefully they didn't go the Platt Bridge to 26th Street to i76 route from the Airport. Otherwise, Amazon may have hard passed right then... (I actually take out of town visitors I95/Callowhill/Sixth Street then down to Society Hill and across Spruce to get to my Fitler Square house.)

Hopefully they got out before the nightmare of a storm on Friday.

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Hopefully they didn't go the Platt Bridge to 26th Street to i76 route from the Airport. Otherwise, Amazon may have hard passed right then... (I actually take out of town visitors I95/Callowhill/Sixth Street then down to Society Hill and across Spruce to get to my Fitler Square house.)

The one benefit from the Platt>76 route is when you hit the Schuylkill river you have the expanse of University City as it's own city center apart from Center City.

I once drove my bosses from the Navy Yard to 30th st about 3 years ago, and when they saw University City from that angle they were blown away at how built up it was.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by reparcsyks

What I've found is that most cities look pretty dreadful from the airport to the downtown. Barcelona. Austin. NYC. LA.

The worst [first world] I've ever personally experienced was from Rome Ciampino. Truly dreadful.

[Parkway]

Better challenge, name cities that have nice looking trips from the airport to downtown. Usually, real estate near airports, highways, and high traffic rail lines is not particularly desirable.

[reparcsyks]

Originally Posted by Parkway

Better challenge, name cities that have nice looking trips from the airport to downtown. Usually real estate near airports, highways, and high traffic rail lines is not particularly desirable.

Auckland and Wellington, NZ. Basically, anything in NZ is nice. I remember Portland, OR looking pretty nice. I think small cities fare better in this regard, of course.

I think the most terrible thing about our approach is the scrapyard. Christ, that thing is hideous.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by Parkway

Better challenge, name cities that have nice looking trips from the airport to downtown. Usually, real estate near airports, highways, and high traffic rail lines is not particularly desirable.

Nice looking is waaaaay different than shitty looking, which is all I'm asking for - doesn't have to be a drive down the PCH.

Airports that don't have *shitty* looking trips from their airport into town off the top of my head: LAX, San Diego, SFO, Denver, Minneapolis, Boston, Seattle, Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Pittsburgh.

[Milksteak]

The drive up 95 to 676 is nothing to write home about, but one of my favorite views of the city is right after you jump onto 676 west before you are brought into the great depths of highway hell. That .02 seconds shows the beauty of Philly perfectly...you can see ol' Billy Penn, PSFS, all of our trophy towers, and the edges of Chinatown in one shot. It's a bonus if you are stuck in our God awful traffic.

[iheartphilly]

Well, I hope Amazon doesn't get distracted from the shiny objects that is being discussed here from the flight here to the sites. I hope they understand what real world ecomonies look like and Philly is a good example. The region's GDP is over 400 billion. I actually like it that they see the oil and natural gas refrineries, the HUP/CHOP complex, the airport, the seaport, the sports complex, the major hospitals, COMCAST 1 and CTC, and all the other taller highrises. Philly has lots of grit to it because we are a real working city of both blue and white collar jobs. A diverse economy is good for Amazon economics. I think their people can appreciate that and their workers can see themselves working and living here.

Time will tell if we are selected or not. But, Philly has crossed that precipice in terms of being a large metropolitan city that has lots of desirable attributes that make people want to live and work here.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Hopefully they didn't go the Platt Bridge to 26th Street to i76 route from the Airport. Otherwise, Amazon may have hard passed right then... (I actually take out of town visitors I95/Callowhill/Sixth Street then down to Society Hill and across Spruce to get to my Fitler Square house.)

Hopefully they realized their trip from the airport to Schuylkill Yards took no more then 15 minutes, and that there is a (under used) train to the airport. I'll take a savings in time over a scenic route every time, except on vacation.

[Inquizative]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Nice. Good intel. Just wondered why the DC Metro area meeting was publicized and not ours? In any case, let's hope our people did an excellent job on wooing Amazon in person and they left with very positve strong feeling about the city and the potential sites.

If it's true that Amazon came here incognito, then I think that's a good sign. There's an old saying, "no news, is good news." I really believe Philly is what Amazon is looking for. I'd like to believe that if Philly is what Amazon is seeking, then maybe they came here and didn't want to hurt any other city's feelings...lol. I'd like to believe 'Schuylkill Yards' is being built with Amazon in mind from the beginning, just wishful thinking. Overall one thing is for sure, Philly definitely has the best geographical location with easy access between D.C. and NYC. Amazon could easily pull the best talents from both cities if they headquartered in Philadelphia. I hope it didn't rain when they were here.

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by Inquizative

If it's true that Amazon came here incognito, then I think that's a good sign. There's an old saying, "no news, is good news." I really believe Philly is what Amazon is looking for. I'd like to believe that if Philly is what Amazon is seeking, then maybe they came here and didn't want to hurt any other city's feelings...lol. I'd like to believe 'Schuylkill Yards' is being built with Amazon in mind from the beginning, just wishful thinking. Overall one thing is for sure, Philly definitely has the best geographical location with easy access between D.C. and NYC. Amazon could easily pull the best talents from both cities if they headquartered in Philadelphia. I hope it didn't rain when they were here.

Definitely not about feelings. Though it could certainly be that Amazon wants Philadelphia officials to know everywhere else they are going so that they feel the heat.


But then again, this is still probably no news. Amazon is bound to do it's due diligence with all remaining cities, and that very likely includes visit(s).

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by Inquizative

------------------- I'd like to believe 'Schuylkill Yards' is being built with Amazon in mind from the beginning, just wishful thinking. ---------------------------

Just one point, nothing is presently being built at Schuylkill Yards, just the park and maybe the Bulletin building getting renovated. So, if Amazon picks that location I'm pretty sure that what gets build will be what they want, within the limits of the site.

Is Amazon known for anything special in terms of the buildings they have built for them? Based on the very little I know about their corporate culture, I would expect nothing cutting edge, nothing very costly. Sortof like why have one 40 story tower when two 20 story ones will work just fine, and cost less.

That would be unfortunate; SHoP has the ability, when the client buys in, to come up with some very good designs.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by City Wide

Just one point, nothing is presently being built at Schuylkill Yards, just the park and maybe the Bulletin building getting renovated. So, if Amazon picks that location I'm pretty sure that what gets build will be what they want, within the limits of the site.

Is Amazon known for anything special in terms of the buildings they have built for them? Based on the very little I know about their corporate culture, I would expect nothing cutting edge, nothing very costly. Sortof like why have one 40 story tower when two 20 story ones will work just fine, and cost less.

That would be unfortunate; SHoP has the ability, when the client buys in, to come up with some very good designs.

The bulletin building is definitely happening. I though I saw it had already started, if not it will start soon. The first modest tower is also supposed to start soon regardless of whether or not Amazon is coming.

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by allovertown

The bulletin building is definitely happening. I though I saw it had already started, if not it will start soon. The first modest tower is also supposed to start soon regardless of whether or not Amazon is coming.

This is from an article in November when they broke ground on the park

The first phase of the $3.5 billion, multi-year project will enhance the public realm by creating a 1.3-acre community park at the corner of 30th and Market Streets to be known as Drexel Square, followed by the reimagination of the former Bulletin Building, and the development of two towers at 3003 JFK Boulevard and 3025 JFK Boulevard.

http://drexel.edu/now/archive/2017/N...Drexel-Square/

So the first phase definitely includes a few buildings. I also thought I saw dates associated with those buildings, but I cannot find anything at the moment.