Amazon HQ2 RFP

[odurandina]

That short list isn't very short.....

this

That short list is basically "the only cities that realistically had a chance...."

- Atlanta, GA

- Austin, TX

- Boston, MA

- Chicago, IL

- Columbus, OH

- Dallas, TX

- Denver, CO

- Indianapolis, IN

- Los Angeles, CA

- Miami, FL

- Montgomery County, MD

- Nashville, TN

- Newark, NJ

- New York City, NY

- Northern Virginia, VA

- Philadelphia, PA

- Pittsburgh, PA

- Raleigh, NC

- Toronto, ON

- Washington D.C.

 

[dwash59]

That short list isn't very short. So if I was a tech worker, places i wouldn't want to live on that list: indianapolis, dc suburbs, columbus, dallas, los angeles.

DC Suburbs and Dallas both have strong existing tech scenes around cloud computing. Depending on the focus of the new campus, they could be interesting for the existing population of engineers.

The three entries all clustered around DC are interesting to me because Amazon didn't for instance keep Somerville's bid or southern NH. It indicates to me some preference in the selection committee for that region.

 

[shmessy]

Amazon releases short list

Boston makes the list.
Baltimore does not; however, 3 bids around Metro DC appear to have made the cut.

I'm surprised about Montgomery County (where I live). Makes some sense as there is a growing medical city, there is NIH, etc, but really don't see the under 30 minute access to any of the airports or shipping port from here.

Interesting that 3 of the top 20 (NoVa, DC, Monty) are actually within the SAME metro area.

 

[shmessy]

That short list isn't very short. So if I was a tech worker, places i wouldn't want to live on that list: indianapolis, dc suburbs, columbus, dallas, los angeles.

DC suburbs have it ALL over the Boston suburbs if you are talking lifestyle, cost, climate, ease of transportation, etc. And they hold right at the same level when it comes to public schools and the education levels of its taxpayers.

And their counties have far higher median incomes (with lower housing costs!) than Norfolk and Middlesex counties.

If I'm a Boston suburbanite, I am not looking down my nose at the DC suburbs at all. There's a reason I left Newton for Montgomery County (although, I hope to retire to a highrise in Boston - - working and raising a family in the DC suburbs is pretty nice).

By the way, I have clients I visit once a year in Dublin, OH - - just outside of Columbus. Pretty nice area there and a very efficient little airport. Location (not on a coast) is probably the biggest drawback.

 

[Rover]

DC suburbs have it ALL over the Boston suburbs if you are talking lifestyle, cost, climate, ease of transportation, etc. And they hold right at the same level when it comes to public schools and the education levels of its taxpayers.

And their counties have far higher median incomes (with lower housing costs!) than Norfolk and Middlesex counties.

If I'm a Boston suburbanite, I am not looking down my nose at the DC suburbs at all. There's a reason I left Newton for Montgomery County (although, I hope to retire to a highrise in Boston - - working and raising a family in the DC suburbs is pretty nice).

By the way, I have clients I visit once a year in Dublin, OH - - just outside of Columbus. Pretty nice area there and a very efficient little airport. Location (not on a coast) is probably the biggest drawback.

Who the bleep is looking down their nose at the DC suburbs? I personally have always ranked DC as the front runner or damn near the top even when you were relentlessly pimping some wasteland in Baltimore as the can't miss opportunity for Amazon.

 

[shmessy]

Who the bleep is looking down their nose at the DC suburbs? I personally have always ranked DC as the front runner or damn near the top even when you were relentlessly pimping some wasteland in Baltimore as the can't miss opportunity for Amazon.

Evidently, you didn't read the VERY SECOND SENTENCE of the post I was responding to.

Let me spoon feed it to you:

Originally Posted by Jouhou View Post
That short list isn't very short. So if I was a tech worker, places i wouldn't want to live on that list: indianapolis, dc suburbs, columbus, dallas, los angeles.

 

[dwash59]

really don't see the under 30 minute access to any of the airports or shipping port from here.

Not sure where the proposal is located, but Potomac is within 30min of both Dulles and Reagan on a good day. Gaithersburg and Rockville definitely aren't. I'm assuming they didn't include a bridge to make getting to Dulles quicker ( http://bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesd...-Potomac-River-Crossing-in-Montgomery-County/ )

 

[jass]

I find it interesting that DC essentially makes up 3 spots on the list, and NYC 2. Everybody else only one.

 

[shmessy]

Not sure where the proposal is located, but Potomac is within 30min of both Dulles and Reagan on a good day. Gaithersburg and Rockville definitely aren't. I'm assuming they didn't include a bridge to make getting to Dulles quicker ( http://bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesd...-Potomac-River-Crossing-in-Montgomery-County/ )

I live in Brookeville and have family in Potomac. 30 minutes from there to National or Dulles is possible around 3am. Any other time, driving to either airport is a nightmare. They had no Big Dig.

The Metro rail access to National Airport is excellent - right there.

 

[DDay]

I'm surprised about Montgomery County (where I live). Makes some sense as there is a growing medical city, there is NIH, etc, but really don't see the under 30 minute access to any of the airports or shipping port from here.

Interesting that 3 of the top 20 (NoVa, DC, Monty) are actually within the SAME metro area.

One thing I would like to add for the argument for the D.C area, in general, is the access to 3 major airports. Dulles and Reagan are the obvious choices but BWI is also pretty accessible via the DC region (MARC train). Also, Dulles has the Silver Metro Line being constructed to it, which I believe is a few years away from formally opening at Dulles. Proximity to large airports was part of the criteria listed from Amazon, albeit I'm sure not the heaviest weighted.

Figured I'd add my five cents. *EDIT* Shmessy beat me to it.

 

[Jouhou]

Fyi I just hate suburbs. It's personal taste. Hence why I also don't like major cities with lots of sprawl.

 

[tysmith95]

I find it interesting that DC essentially makes up 3 spots on the list, and NYC 2. Everybody else only one.

I believe that they separated those because they are located in separate states.

 

[JeffDowntown]

I believe that they separated those because they are located in separate states.

Hence separate negotiations for incentives -- the real point of this "not very short" list.

 

[jass]

I believe that they separated those because they are located in separate states.

They didnt do that for Philly (could have located in Camden), and Miami is actually 279 different cities.

But you're probably right.

State house is where the real money giveaways happen.

Didnt Christopher Chris Christie sign away $5bn in incentives on his way out?

 

[BosDevelop]

It indicates to me some preference in the selection committee for that region.

Couldn't it also indicate that the other New England proposals weren't very strong? Regardless of what regions they may prefer, why would they keep weak proposals that have no chance of being selected?

 

[FenwayResident]

Couldn't it also indicate that the other New England proposals weren't very strong? Regardless of what regions they may prefer, why would they keep weak proposals that have no chance of being selected?

The other New England proposals were not very strong because they are tiny compared to Boston and most of the other cities on the top 20 list. Places like Hartford, Worcester or Providence would get absolutely crushed by Amazon moving there. Not to mention their total lack of public transit (including major airports).

 

[tangent]

DC Suburbs and Dallas both have strong existing tech scenes around cloud computing. Depending on the focus of the new campus, they could be interesting for the existing population of engineers.

The three entries all clustered around DC are interesting to me because Amazon didn't for instance keep Somerville's bid or southern NH. It indicates to me some preference in the selection committee for that region.

Somerville's proposal was never about locating the actual headquarters in Somerville. It was about locating the headquarters in Boston and then locating additional office and research space in Cambridge and Somerville so it really wouldn't make sense to consider it separately. It didn't even make sense as a separate proposal, except that Somerville wanted to get on Amazon's radar and Walsh wanted a Boston proper-only proposal.

Somerville could conceivable still factor into the longer term need for some additional space for Amazon.

 

[jass]

The other New England proposals were not very strong because they are tiny compared to Boston and most of the other cities on the top 20 list. Places like Hartford, Worcester or Providence would get absolutely crushed by Amazon moving there. Not to mention their total lack of public transit (including major airports).

Newark will get crushed if they're picked.

Newark: 281,764
Worcester: 184,508
Providence: 179,219

 

[fattony]

Somerville's proposal was never about locating the actual headquarters in Somerville. It was about locating the headquarters in Boston and then locating additional office and research space in Cambridge and Somerville so it really wouldn't make sense to consider it separately. It didn't even make sense as a separate proposal, except that Somerville wanted to get on Amazon's radar and Walsh wanted a Boston proper-only proposal.

Somerville could conceivable still factor into the longer term need for some additional space for Amazon.

+1

 

[Rover]

Evidently, you didn't read the VERY SECOND SENTENCE of the post I was responding to.

Let me spoon feed it to you:

Originally Posted by Jouhou View Post
That short list isn't very short. So if I was a tech worker, places i wouldn't want to live on that list: indianapolis, dc suburbs, columbus, dallas, los angeles.

You DO realize jouhou has his/her location as Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which isn't exactly the Boston suburbs, right?

Now kindly tell us about Bezos BIG mistake not choosing Baltimore over places like Indy and Columbus which did make the list.