Amazon HQ2 thread - Page 56

Pedestrian · #**1101** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 5:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

What exactly is 'Culture Fit'? I saw something like most craft beer breweries per capita in Denver.

Quote:

Methodology:

*Newark includes all of Northern New Jersey

COLLEGE POPULATION: Percentage of population that is college educated.

TECH LABOR FORCE: Total labor force in a tech occupation. Includes tech jobs not in the tech industry.

FISCAL HEALTH: Cities are scored on metrics including ratio of general fund balance to expenditures; ratio of pension contributions to total government-wide revenues; change in unemployment rate in 2015; and change in property values in 2015.

COST OF LIVING: Estimated cost of living for mid-management households by weighting different consumer expenditure categories.

CULTURAL FIT: Sites that reflect "Cultural Community Fit" and "Community/Quality of Life" as outlined in the Amazon request-for-proposals. Strong universities, diverse population, recreational opportunities, and an overall high quality of life. Excludes government incentive packages.

STATE TAX RANK: Rank of tax rates (including corporate, income and property-tax ranks). One is lowest tax state, 50 is highest tax state.

http://www.wsj.com/graphics/amazon-headquarters/

mhays · #**1102** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 5:19 PM**

WSJ places no value on urban form, transit, etc. They didn't do their homework.

In fact, not one poll or article I've seen to-date seems to show much clue if the goal is something similar to HQ1.

C. · #**1103** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 5:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

WSJ places no value on urban form, transit, etc. They didn't do their homework.

+1

They've really gone downhill.

Pedestrian · #**1104** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

WSJ places no value on urban form, transit, etc. They didn't do their homework.

In fact, not one poll or article I've seen to-date seems to show much clue if the goal is something similar to HQ1.

I believe something like transit would be included in other criteria just as universities is but they seem to have tried to follow the Amazon RFP which I doubt mentioned "urban form".

Sorry if your choice wasn't picked by the WSJ.

mhays · #**1105** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 5:33 PM**

Where did they include transit?

Lesson #1 in RFQ response is to understand your client beyond what's in the RFQ. It's also an important lesson in corporate location decisions.

I don't have a "choice." I'm in Seattle commercial real estate.

Pedestrian · #**1106** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 5:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

Where did they include transit?

I recommend emailing the author of the piece but since transit was apparently something Amazon said was a factor in the RFP, I doubt it was ignored. It simply didn't warrant its own "pie slice".

mhays · #**1107** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 5:46 PM**

Are you saying you haven't read the RFP? After so much time and so many comments?

Cirrus · #**1108** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 7:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by You know who

Confident Philadelphia Officials Preemptively Raze Center City To Make Room For Amazon Headquarters

Philadelphia officials say they’re optimistic enough about their chances of landing the new headquarters that it just made sense to implode the downtown area. Photo by The Onion.

PHILADELPHIA—Convinced they will win the highly competitive contest to host the e-commerce giant’s new offices, optimistic local officials have preemptively razed Philadelphia’s entire Center City district to make room for Amazon’s second North American headquarters, sources said Thursday.

Strong move. Signals their seriousness. New front runner.

10023 · #**1109** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 8:01 PM**

Here is the RFP again:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....516043504_.pdf

To me it seems quite clear that in describing the idea site and building requirements for mass transit as “At site” and proximity to major highways and arterial roads as “not more than 1-2 miles”, they are quite strongly hinting at a preference for urban sites.

atlwarrior · #**1110** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 8:06 PM**

Why would Amazon HQ2 want to be in cities with harsh winters?

mrnyc · #**1111** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 8:07 PM**

come on its time to the foot down here and choose before amazon does (if they do lol).

my guess is dallas gets it over denver by a td and field goal.

why? dallas has a proprietary reason i am aware of that gives them a nice leg up, although certainly not a lock by any means because who knows. so its a good guess for now. after the decision i can share more. im sure other cities have something with somewhat similar synergy, if perhaps not as big.

anyway, we’ve had enough homering and noise, lets do this — make your guess — where do you think it will it actually land???

bnk · #**1112** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 8:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlwarrior

Why would Amazon HQ2 want to be in cities with harsh winters?

Why in the world would Amazon choose a place with harsh Summers

That would be a stupid choice anyway the citiy already been chosen and it’s not in yours.

James Bond Agent 007 · #**1113** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 8:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlwarrior

Why would Amazon HQ2 want to be in cities with harsh winters?

That was a really stupid comment. Do you know how many Fortune 500 companies are HQ'd in Chicago and Minneapolis? Why should Amazon be any different?

DMPHL · #**1114** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 8:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlwarrior

Why would Amazon HQ2 want to be in cities with harsh winters?

Why would they care? Most of the largest and most successful companies in the United States have headquarters in cities with winters that are less than wonderful.

Most of those cities are themselves, or are linked closely to, large economic and cultural centers.

Winter weather isn't a hindrance to a successful business, unless you're a beach resort.

ATXboom · #**1115** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 8:19 PM**

Will it go to a city in a state that recently passed a "bathroom bill"? Mark Cuban thinks no... https://www.dallasnews.com/business/...y-scare-amazon

10023 · #**1116** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 9:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

That was a really stupid comment. Do you know how many Fortune 500 companies are HQ'd in Chicago and Minneapolis? Why should Amazon be any different?

And New York, and Boston...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Will it go to a city in a state that recently passed a "bathroom bill"? Mark Cuban thinks no... https://www.dallasnews.com/business/...y-scare-amazon

No offense to Dallas, but when you’re touting SMU and UT-Arlington as the sources of your talent pool, it’s not a great sign. Sounds like that’s a category to put in the negative column for Dallas’ bid.

Steely Dan · #**1117** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 9:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

And New York, and Boston...

and toronto, and montreal, and detroit, and cleveland, and pittsburgh, and milwaukee, etc.

the notion that F500 businesses can't succeed in places where it snows is beyond absurd.

JManc · #**1118** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 9:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

No offense to Dallas, but when you’re touting SMU and UT-Arlington as the sources of your talent pool, it’s not a great sign. Sounds like that’s a category to put in the negative column for Dallas’ bid.

Then you really don't know these universities then to brush them off as if they were some local community college and not everyone who winds up working that HQ2 is going to be some whizkid who graduated cum laude from Stanford, Yale or even UT-Austin. I don't think Cuban was talking out of his ass. He may on other things but probably not about this.

IrishIllini · #**1119** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 9:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

and toronto, and montreal, and detroit, and cleveland, and pittsburgh, and milwaukee, etc.

the notion that F500 businesses can't succeed in places where it snows is beyond absurd.

It makes 0 sense because NYC and Chicago are home to the most F500 companies, I believe. People who think that businesses put significant emphasis on weather are seriously misinformed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JManc

Then you really don't know these universities then to brush them off as if they were some local community college and not everyone who winds up working that HQ2 is going to be some whizkid who graduated cum laude from Stanford, Yale or even UT-Austin. I don't think Cuban was talking out of his ass. He may on other things but probably not about this.

There are some good schools in TX (UT Austin/Rice), but none of them are in Dallas. SMU is a respectable school, but it's small. For comparison, Chicago and Philadelphia are surrounded by top notch schools. Much of the Big Ten ranks above SMU, and those are (for the most part) flagship state schools with enrollments 4X larger. The ACC is also loaded with great schools. Both Chicago and Philadelphia are near higher caliber private schools as well (ND, UChicago, Penn, etc.). Education is not Texas' strong suit.

Sun Belt · #**1120** Posted **Nov 16, 2017, 10:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

No offense to Dallas, but when you’re touting SMU and UT-Arlington as the sources of your talent pool, it’s not a great sign. Sounds like that’s a category to put in the negative column for Dallas’ bid.

Most college grads are mobile and are willing to relocate. If not Boston would be 10X the population it is today. No?