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Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

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Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#51

Post by tootie »

walterbell wrote: post #38
chollida1 wrote: post #3

Nice to see Toronto on the list, though game theory suggest that we're only here because having a Canadian Candidate has the potential to have all 3 levels of government involved rather than just state and city. I'm not really sure how to go about handicapping the finalists. Given the current political climate, Toronto is interesting because it's the only city that gives Amazon some escape form the US government. You…

Hasn't Google already planted their flag in NYC and Toronto for their "smart city" kiosk surveillance & advertising network? https://www.wired.com/story/google-sidewalk-labs-toronto-qua... https://gizmodo.com/nycs-free-wifi-service-is-turning-into-a...

They already have a few thousand people working in NYC offices

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#53

Post by freehunter »

holydude wrote: post #18

I wish i could live in North America. You guys have it so exciting out there ;). Hopefully it goes to a region that kinda needs it and can grow further.

I guarantee someone in North America has said the exact same thing about your country :)

Everyone wants to be somewhere else.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#54

Post by mholmes680 »

chollida1 wrote: post #3

Nice to see Toronto on the list, though game theory suggest that we're only here because having a Canadian Candidate has the potential to have all 3 levels of government involved rather than just state and city. I'm not really sure how to go about handicapping the finalists. Given the current political climate, Toronto is interesting because it's the only city that gives Amazon some escape form the US government. You…

I think Newark set the bar on the financial discounts: $7B [1] so far, but we just changed Governors, so we'll see. I think it meets all the other requirements you mentioned, but I think we got knocked on Infrastructure on some list a month or two ago.

[1] http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2017/12/10_reasons_for_ama...

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#55

Post by dominotw »

rpiguy wrote: post #44

It seems interesting that Amazon is not terribly concerned with the cost of labor. Several cities and states on that list have very high labor costs (Boston, New Jersey, etc.) Good to see they are more concerned with talent and infrastructure rather than just bottom line costs.

Maybe there are just there as a bluff to create arms race among the rest.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#56

Post by thisisit »

This whole shtick reminds me of a time when one of employers was getting a new office. Lot of places were proposed so that people had to travel less. But it all came down to BCP or business continuity plan. The plan stated both offices needed to be at least 9.5 miles or 15 kms apart. In case of service disruption atleast one office should be up and running.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#57

Post by phkahler »

jasode wrote: post #40
rb808 wrote: post #4

Its basically most of the major metro areas in North America >500 miles away from Seattle. Doesn't seem to be cutting it down much.

My guess is that Amazon isn't _seriously_ considering all 20 cities equally. Instead, they privately already have 2 or 3 particular cities in mind and the other 18 cities are just there for negotiating leverage for the 2 they really want. The problem is that the cities themselves don't know if they're "really in contention" or just "disposable chess pieces". Again, that's just my guess.

Yeah, there's funny concentration of options right by - and including - Washington D.C.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#58

Post by codeonfire »

HQ2 will not work. Amazon grew in Seattle because of its access to H1B labor from Asia, liberalism, and attitudes towards business and work. Much of the rest of the country is North Korea business-wise. There is no way Seattle management will allow half the revenue to flow to another office. I'm sure the board thinks the two HQ's will compete, producing incredible productivity. Workers compete, management destroys. Two executive management sets competing for control of Amazon's hundreds of billions in revenue will just destroy each other.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#59

Post by deegles »

jasode wrote: post #40
rb808 wrote: post #4

Its basically most of the major metro areas in North America >500 miles away from Seattle. Doesn't seem to be cutting it down much.

My guess is that Amazon isn't _seriously_ considering all 20 cities equally. Instead, they privately already have 2 or 3 particular cities in mind and the other 18 cities are just there for negotiating leverage for the 2 they really want. The problem is that the cities themselves don't know if they're "really in contention" or just "disposable chess pieces". Again, that's just my guess.

They probably decided way before announcing the RFP process.

Re: Amazon announces candidate cities for HQ2

#60

Post by rpiguy »

rbcgerard wrote: post #17

Newark?

Easy access to three airports, the Turnpike, New York City, lots of college educated people from surrounding areas and tons of universities within a thirty mile radius. They also already have offices there for Audible, and a huge distribution center in southern, NJ.

It is possible, but I think unlikely. For all those good points, you can get them in other cities with lower cost of labor, lower taxes, etc. Though taxes might not count for much given the wheeling and dealing states are willing to do to get the business.

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