Amazon HQ2 RFP

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No need to close the thread. Speculation isn't a bad thing while we're waiting for more info as long as we keep it reasonably polite.
 
TheRifleman said:
Your missing the entire point. This is not just about Amazon or some developers that own garages.
Its about what is best for the overall PUBLIC along with the surrounding areas of roads and infrastructure around Boston.

*Plopping Amazon at Suffolk Downs with minimal road infrastructure upgrades will only continue to stress out the public with Traffic problems.

Our city & state reps need to focus on the CORE of the Boston where all majority of transit leads too with major corporations like this.

Building outside the core like WYNN casino development or Amazon at Suffolk without major massive investments in Road or upgradable MBTA services will only continue to clog the small roads and highways outside the core of Boston.

That is my point. Amazon is not healthy for the Public infrastructure at Suffolk downs.
Either BUILD in the CORE of the city or address the TRANSIT ISSUES in around Boston.

Traffic is one of the major issues in Boston now.
That is why I ASKED who the fuck is making these ridiculous proposals?
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You're all whistlin' Dixie if you don't understand the NSRL is the foundational solution to all this.

.
 
shmessy said:
You're all whistlin' Dixie if you don't understand the NSRL is the foundational solution to all this.
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??? While I love the NSRL, the reality is that Red-Blue connector is both more-directly helpful and more-immediately buildable as support for HQ2 at Suffolk Downs.

Were I Amazon, I'd love everything about Suffolk Downs except its poor connectivity to Cambridge, and I'd demand that the City/State include a commitment to build it in the package of "expensive stuff which greatly enhances Amazon's HQ but which the Region should consider easy to give because all the neighbors would love to have it"

In this, the Red-Blue is similar to the City/State promising to build a new Northern Ave pedestrian bridge to replace the swing span. It was counted in the total of "infrastructure GE got" when it really was something we should have already been doing.
 
Arlington said:
??? While I love the NSRL, the reality is that Red-Blue connector is both more-directly helpful and more-immediately buildable as support for HQ2 at Suffolk Downs.

Were I Amazon, I'd love everything about Suffolk Downs except its poor connectivity to Cambridge, and I'd demand that the City/State include a commitment to build it in the package of "expensive stuff which greatly enhances Amazon's HQ but which the Region should consider easy to give because all the neighbors would love to have it"

In this, the Red-Blue is similar to the City/State promising to build a new Northern Ave pedestrian bridge to replace the swing span. It was counted in the total of "infrastructure GE got" when it really was something we should have already been doing.
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I was responding to Rifleman going off about the traffic/congestion in the core of Boston.

Red-Blue is the cheaper/quicker project and should be done also. To me BOTH of these two transit projects are far more important to the future of Boston than the next 600+ foot erection dreamed about by Odurandina.
 
dshoost88 said:
I am legitimately happy to host an in-person group discussion among Arch Bostonians to do a group read/discussion of the Amazon HQ2 RFP and the City of Boston's Amazon HQ2 RFP Response. Obviously it's ripe for discussion and something on many of our minds, but also I realize it's been a while since we've had an in-person meet-and-greet, and I'm kind of anxious to discuss our concerns together.

Anybody available tonight or tomorrow night? Name your venue--first round of drinks is on me (***but only if TheRifleman and odurandina show up!).
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So to indirectly answer your question Rifleman, I decided to look at the Bid document that dshoost88 linked and quoting here for easy access.

It feels like the last few pages, no one has been fully reading all the replies.

The link above answers your questions.

"Why is Boston not proposing multiple sites?"

It is. On page 62 and 63 (page on the book numbered page 123 with diagram numbed page 125), it is proposing it (which Fattony at 12:36 PM also made this response, but your response at 01:59 PM missed it or ignored it. Instead screaming about "WHO's RUNNING THIS BULLSHIT Proposal system" and citing a bunch of tax breaks. I'm not sure you're saying Amazon should get a tax break, but that post sure sound like Amazon should get one because all those companies did. )

Why is the main proposal in Revere rather than Boston

In the RFP, they said this:

As such, Amazon will prioritize certified or shovel-ready greenfield sites and infill opportunities with appropriate infrastructure and ability to meet the Project’s timeline and development demands
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Also this requirement.

Total Square Foot
Requirement Up to 8,000,000
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With those requirements, even the tallest version of South Station would fall short. But it seems they are aware of the possibility they might want the core even though what the described is a campus. Thus Page 62 of the Boston Proposal link.
 
Given the timeline, you can build Sourh Station, Lincoln St Garage, and DOT kneeland Parcels.... Then buy a surrounding building or 2.... Post office moves, and you're home. Geebus.

And while the West End would require a bit more creative land swapping, it isn't untenable. It would simply require public officials to get creative and do their job/s. Is that asking too much? We possess the land in 'iconic' Boston where Amazon would be proud to be.

At a minimum these options should have been offered in bold as 1-2-3 with Suffolk Downs.

Why? Because it's the Rolling Stones.

Blogs are for stirring the pot and being generally pissed at obtuse public servants. You're still breathing.
 
The mods should lock this thread until we actually have some news.
 
I posted news today in post 861, it was just one of those days for some reason where a thread just takes off in whatever direction. If you didnt click on the second link I posted basically it says the WSJ has learned that Dallas is the frontrunner, Boston is second, and third is DC Atlanta and Seattle. It then goes on to say Amazon will pick its "gold medalist sometime next year". 8 million sq ft 50k workers as we already know but inside word is that Dec 1 the list of 238 cities will be dropped down to the few frontrunners that they will then focus on and work with from then on out allowing more tailored and focused communication lines with a few cities one of which will host Amazon in the future. So whether it actually gets out to the public or not this friday there are people in Boston that will know where we stand and how to move forward. Right now were just one of 238 cities, friday well be 1 of like 5 and be able to move forward accordingly and in a more serious fashion than just getting something on the board.
 
stick n move said:
I posted news today in post 861, it was just one of those days for some reason where a thread just takes off in whatever direction. If you didnt click on the second link I posted basically it says the WSJ has learned that Dallas is the frontrunner, Boston is second, and third is DC Atlanta and Seattle. It then goes on to say Amazon will pick its "gold medalist sometime next year". 8 million sq ft 50k workers as we already know but inside word is that Dec 1 the list of 238 cities will be dropped down to the few frontrunners that they will then focus on and work with from then on out allowing more tailored and focused communication lines with a few cities one of which will host Amazon in the future. So whether it actually gets out to the public or not this friday there are people in Boston that will know where we stand and how to move forward. Right now were just one of 238 cities, friday well be 1 of like 5 and be able to move forward accordingly and in a more serious fashion than just getting something on the board.
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Ah ok, thanks. It just seems like it's arguing the same thing over and over again about politics, and weather Suffolk Downs is a adequate spot.
 
merlin_130632881_069fbdee-1d26-4878-b13f-019caaaeadbe-master768.jpg


This is Microsoft's new campus, to be built over the next 5-10 years. It is really Microsoft's old campus, rebuilt with Microsoft's version of towers.

The NY Times headline: Microsoft to expand campus, as Amazon looks elsewhere.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/...icrosoft-headquarters-redmond-washington.html

Amazon wants 100 acres. If 25 percent of 100 acres is used for buildings, that's a buildings footprint of 1.1 million square feet. An average of seven floors on 1.1 million square feet is 7.7 million square feet of building. The result: an Amazon campus that looks awfully like Microsoft's new campus.
 
Gameguy326 said:
I propose closing this thread. It has become too dumb and toxic.
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Why would you propose to close this thread? Why would you even read it if it bothers you and has become to toxic.

Why because you don't agree with me? This Ignorance at its best.
If I don't Agree with the other guy we shouldn't be talking about this---so shut it down. Pure ignorance

You must be GOD
 
If you don't want to read about this, don't click the link. If the thread is locked he will just post about it in every other thread and the entire forum will go to shit again.
 
Justin7 said:
If you don't want to read about this, don't click the link. If the thread is locked he will just post about it in every other thread and the entire forum will go to shit again.
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The only shit in this forum are the people that don't respect other people's thoughts and opinions. If I don't like thread I don't bother reading it or replying. I just don't respond to the thread.
I would never disregard somebody's opinion, ideas or thoughts.

There are plenty of threads that I don't respond to so go find an audience that actually values what you say instead of attacking others.

This group is very pathetic when they feel threaten to ideas that are not agreement with their own.
 
TheRifleman said:
Why would you propose to close this thread? Why would you even read it if it bothers you and has become to toxic.

Why because you don't agree with me? This Ignorance at its best.
If I don't Agree with the other guy we shouldn't be talking about this---so shut it down. Pure ignorance

You must be GOD
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I literally didn't say anything about you. And I wasn't even thinking about a particular person when I wrote that.

But I guess now I will call you an asshole.
 
Why would you read this thread? People are reading this thread to learn about the Amazon proposal... all the other crap is trivial bs.
 
odurandina said:
Given the timeline, you can build Sourh Station, Lincoln St Garage, and DOT kneeland Parcels.... Then buy a surrounding building or 2.... Post office moves, and you're home. Geebus.
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Post office moves, and you're home. Geebus
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Post office moves
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Post office moving. Isn't that the complicator South Station? My memory says South Station Tower should have started by now, but then the Post Office threw a wrench? If they threw wrenches before, why would it go so smooth now? If I was the mayor, that would keep me from including it as the main plan (it is in as "Additional Site Cluster") as their RFP specifically asks to minimize things that can hold up projects. And the Post Office has already held up previous plans. It might be "shovel ready" in terms of blue prints. But is it really reasonable to find an agreement with the Post office and have them out by 2019?

And while the West End would require a bit more creative land swapping, it isn't untenable. It would simply require public officials to get creative and do their job/s. Is that asking too much? We possess the land in 'iconic' Boston where Amazon would be proud to be.
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I have to point out what I think this argument is flawed too. When did Amazon made their RFP? Around September 7 looking back at the news articles. When were their deadline to submit plans? October 19, 2017. So a month and a half. And in a month and a half, public officials will be able to get binding agreements to "creatively" swap lands?

---

I'm not saying I think Suffolk Down is the best proposal ever. But I do try to keep to a mindset to treating this what things deserve to be treated. And right now, I don't see fairness to bashing Boston/Massachusetts for "being lazy" or "uncreative" when dealing with short timelines to submit proposals with a heavy emphasis that they can keep to what is promised in the proposal.

In my mind, I put myself in the shoes of Mayor Walsh. You get just notified that you need to find a plan to fits to their requirements. You realized you only have 1.5 months to put a plan together. How much can one really put together on such a timeline? You going to have to pick parcels that are already "ready to go" with "willing owners". On one side, you've been in contact with the owner of Suffolk Downs and the Mayor of Revere (which considering the whole casino thing, a framework of communication have been long established) and you know they will give no complications because you know they are down to do anything. On the other side, you have plans like the South Station Tower that most would prefer but know the various parties have ran into a lot of complications.

Maybe you think that with Amazon on the line that everyone will start playing. But my gut says it will just add a new element to the stalled project. If I was the mayor, I would pick the plans that I know can deliver - especially if it remains fitting to the specs they said they wanted.
 
^ Exactly, well put. We don't know whats going on behind the scenes, we don't have all of the information, and we definitely don't have all of the answers. Its easy to just say blah everyone here sucks is lazy and doesn't care and its just Boston being Boston. But once you divulge deeper into the details and requirements theres reasons why they did what they did. Yes they're not perfect, but they also have all of the information and are trying to work with what they have in a short timeline.
 
shmessy said:
I was responding to Rifleman going off about the traffic/congestion in the core of Boston.

Red-Blue is the cheaper/quicker project and should be done also. To me BOTH of these two transit projects are far more important to the future of Boston than the next 600+ foot erection dreamed about by Odurandina.
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I agree with this comment.
Transits is more important than building 600+foot buildings but I think Odurandina is saying build in the core before we expand on BAD INFRASTRUCTURE at this point.

There needs to be solutions for the infrastructure outside and around Boston before we propose major corporations to locate outside the CORE of Boston.

There needs to be massive billions in investments for roads, bridges and MBTA infrastructure at this point.

As a Taxpayer I'm willing to listen to ideas, solutions that would help benefit Boston and the surrounding communities instead of catering to these corporations and developer tax incentive land deals that help them swindle prime real estate and help build 600foot buildings. I'm not saying we don't offer deals but stop giving away prime real estate for pennies on the dollar.
 
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