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  #1  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 1:30 PM
We vs us We vs us is offline
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Arrow Amazon HQ2

Amazon's planning to build a 2nd HQ in North America.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/07/amaz...h-america.html

Quote:
Amazon said it would prioritize bids from metropolitan areas with more than one million people; regions that provide a "stable and business-friendly environment"; urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent; and communities that "think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options."

Amazon said the location does not have to be an urban or downtown campus; a similar layout to Amazon's Seattle campus; or a development-prepped site.
That sounds like it could be, might be, maybe in the future might sort of be a place like Austin. Right?
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  #2  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 1:38 PM
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Originally Posted by We vs us View Post
Amazon's planning to build a 2nd HQ in North America.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/07/amaz...h-america.html



That sounds like it could be, might be, maybe in the future might sort of be a place like Austin. Right?
You beat me to it. That will be a major boost to some lucky city - much bigger than a Tesla gigafactory and Foxconn combined. Austin better step up its game and make a major effort for it. We have a leg up like the article states with some Amazon corporate jobs and that grocery story thing.
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  #3  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 1:45 PM
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Arrow Amazon HQ2

If Austin was able to lure them, we might get a flagship corporate tower?

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/07/tech...ers/index.html
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  #4  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 2:15 PM
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Originally Posted by clubtokyo View Post
If Austin was able to lure them, we might get a flagship corporate tower?

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/07/tech...ers/index.html
No one seems to be using that post office site at the moment . . . .
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  #5  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 2:50 PM
paul78701 paul78701 is offline
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Originally Posted by clubtokyo View Post
If Austin was able to lure them, we might get a flagship corporate tower?

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/07/tech...ers/index.html
Austin should definitely be a front-runner for this. We all know that very few cities have the same draw WRT tech talent. And now has a built in advantage with the Whole Foods deal going through.

The question is...where HQ2 could be located in Austin? They're saying that it would be equal to the Seattle HQ. They might not necessarily be looking for the same 8.1 million square feet of space that they have in Seattle, but they surely would be looking for multi-millions of square feet.

Where would that be possible? If it's downtown, that's multiple buildings of giant size.
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  #6  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 2:57 PM
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The Statesman site comes to mind.
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  #7  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 2:57 PM
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Originally Posted by paul78701 View Post
Austin should definitely be a front-runner for this. We all know that very few cities have the same draw WRT tech talent. And now has a built in advantage with the Whole Foods deal going through.

The question is...where HQ2 could be located in Austin? They're saying that it would be equal to the Seattle HQ. They might not necessarily be looking for the same 8.1 million square feet of space that they have in Seattle, but they surely would be looking for multi-millions of square feet.

Where would that be possible? If it's downtown, that's multiple buildings of giant size.
You mentioned they might not be looking for 8 million square feet. They are. Here are the details. Essentially, they want it to be an equal to their current HQ in Seattle.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....516043504_.pdf
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  #8  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 3:02 PM
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The RFP's emphasis on on-site public transportation (specifically mentioning rail or subway lines) would make it difficult for Austin to compete with cities like Denver, Charlotte, Boston, or even Dallas. Depending on how important this is to them, Austin likely lacks the critical infrastructure to support their plans. I also am not sure the city of Austin would be as welcoming as many other cities. I hope I am dead wrong.
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  #9  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 3:12 PM
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Originally Posted by OKTX View Post
The RFP's emphasis on on-site public transportation (specifically mentioning rail or subway lines) would make it difficult for Austin to compete with cities like Denver, Charlotte, Boston, or even Dallas. Depending on how important this is to them, Austin likely lacks the critical infrastructure to support their plans. I also am not sure the city of Austin would be as welcoming as many other cities. I hope I am dead wrong.
Very good points. That's where Austin lacks big. City of Austin dragging it's feet on transportation over the decades catches up with them when opportunities like this come up, which is obviously rare.

Since this is a long term vision, I think Austin would have to convince them they are going to quickly pick up the pace on public transportation in order to have a chance.
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  #10  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 3:17 PM
paul78701 paul78701 is offline
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Originally Posted by OKTX View Post
The RFP's emphasis on on-site public transportation (specifically mentioning rail or subway lines) would make it difficult for Austin to compete with cities like Denver, Charlotte, Boston, or even Dallas. Depending on how important this is to them, Austin likely lacks the critical infrastructure to support their plans. I also am not sure the city of Austin would be as welcoming as many other cities. I hope I am dead wrong.
All the more reason people should have voted for a complete light rail system like the proposal back in 2000. Not having that is now starting to hurt Austin economically.
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  #11  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 3:32 PM
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Originally Posted by deerhoof View Post
Very good points. That's where Austin lacks big. City of Austin dragging it's feet on transportation over the decades catches up with them when opportunities like this come up, which is obviously rare.

Since this is a long term vision, I think Austin would have to convince them they are going to quickly pick up the pace on public transportation in order to have a chance.
One potential option? How about the broadmore development? It's actually on the one rail line we have.

Edit: Or they mention multiple sites is possible. How about downtown innovation district and/or development above the convention center + broadmore site, linked by the red line?

Edit2: heck, throw in the possibility (for phase 3 in 15 years) along the line up in Robinson Ranch.
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  #12  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 3:34 PM
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Originally Posted by paul78701 View Post
All the more reason people should have voted for a complete light rail system like the proposal back in 2000. Not having that is now starting to hurt Austin economically.
off topic: I wish the 2000 vote had ended up differently, but it wasn't really a "complete light rail system".

It was a 15 mile MOS and not even the money to build even that. Then a few lines on the map promising at "future expansion", with no clue at how that was ever going to happen (once the initial segment, that you can't afford, is built, its operating costs > buses eat even more of the budget).
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  #13  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 3:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Novacek View Post
One potential option? How about the broadmore development? It's actually on the one rail line we have.
They're apparently looking for 8 million square feet, though. That is a HUGE amount of space. The twin towers of the World Trade Center had about that much.

Domain 11 is the largest building so far at the Domain, and it's still only 312,024 square feet according to this. They would need 26 Domain 11s to equal that number. You're talking about creating a skyline that would rival Forth Worth's before you considered raising the building heights to reduce the number of buildings and footprints/impervious coverage.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...s-tallest.html
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  #14  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 3:45 PM
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Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas View Post
They're apparently looking for 8 million square feet, though.
Only 500,000-1,000,000 sf in phase 1 though.
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  #15  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 3:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Novacek View Post
One potential option? How about the broadmore development? It's actually on the one rail line we have.

Edit: Or they mention multiple sites is possible. How about downtown innovation district and/or development above the convention center + broadmore site, linked by the red line?

Edit2: heck, throw in the possibility (for phase 3 in 15 years) along the line up in Robinson Ranch.
Actually, maybe I'm misreading that.

" The RFP may contain
multiple real estate sites in more than one jurisdiction, but we do encourage you to submit your best
sites to meet or exceed the needs of our Project described in this RFP."

May mean multiple independent (and mutually exclusive) proposals, not multiple sites combining in one proposal.
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  #16  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 4:43 PM
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If you really wanted downtown, you could feasibly bundle the Courthouse site, the post office, and 600 Guadalupe for a great campus with a ton of sq footage.

That, of course, assumes that neither the 600 Guad nor the Courthouse plan don't already have tenant commitments. A guy can dream, though.
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  #17  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 4:49 PM
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Originally Posted by We vs us View Post
Amazon's planning to build a 2nd HQ in North America.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/07/amaz...h-america.html



That sounds like it could be, might be, maybe in the future might sort of be a place like Austin. Right?
It's gonna take a hefty incentive package, both on the state and local level. Funny they don't mention that in their description of their desired location.
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  #18  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 4:52 PM
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Originally Posted by hookem View Post
It's gonna take a hefty incentive package, both on the state and local level. Funny they don't mention that in their description of their desired location.
That would be the "business-friendly environment"


https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....516043504_.pdf
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  #19  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 5:09 PM
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Originally Posted by We vs us View Post
If you really wanted downtown, you could feasibly bundle the Courthouse site, the post office, and 600 Guadalupe for a great campus with a ton of sq footage.

That, of course, assumes that neither the 600 Guad nor the Courthouse plan don't already have tenant commitments. A guy can dream, though.
How much could you fit in a big chunk (all?) of the South Shore district?


How about South Shore plus building above the convention center, connected by a pedestrian bridge (also dreaming)?
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  #20  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2017, 5:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Novacek View Post
How much could you fit in a big chunk (all?) of the South Shore district?


How about South Shore plus building above the convention center, connected by a pedestrian bridge (also dreaming)?
Yep, I'm all-in on the south shore district. Probably the best, most practical option for something the size they're looking for. Could you imagine the penthouse view that Bezos would have from a campus like that?

I also think that deals this huge come with surprising coattails -- meaning that, improved transit could easily be a price the city of Austin or State of Texas or both are willing to pay for an Amazon HQ and 50k jobs. A phased commitment of that size could feasibly change the tenor of the I-35 planning, could change the city's own perception of its need for transit, etc.

Not that that completely overcomes the obstacles that Austin has, but I don't know that our current problems with Austin are exactly the long term problems Amazon might be considering.
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