Place your bets on winner of Amazon's HQ2 (1 Viewer)

[Dennis Nicholls]

Amazon has an RFP out for cities to bid for becoming the site of a second HQ, called "HQ2". Cities across the US and Canada are putting together "incentive" packages in their bids to woo Amazon. Amazon wants to branch out from congested and expensive Seattle. I have to laugh when places like LA and NYC make bids since they are even more congested and expensive than Seattle.

So what city would you bet will land the HQ2?

My bet: Louisville, Kentucky. The metro population is 1.2 million. Louisville's international airport SDF is the worldwide UPS hub, and UPS is Amazon's largest shipping partner by far. Amazon will need to work hand-in-glove with its shippers as it invents new delivery options: pickup lockers, drones, and options yet to be determined. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon just buys out UPS in the near future.

 

[Clinton McClure]

My money is on Atlanta.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

My money is on Atlanta.

Mine too.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

A close friend of ours is a partner in a local PR firm which is helping Detroit with its presentation. I have no inside info, though.

 

[Jeff Brooks]

Unfortunately, probably Atlanta. (Why doesn't Amazon just take over the U.S. Postal Service?)

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Unfortunately?

 

[Adam Gregorich]

As much as Washington State is trying to get HQ2 here too, its not going to happen. I bet somewhere in the Eastern time zone.

 

[David Norman]

Interesting game.

MashUp of the top 20-25 commonly floated sites.

NYC, SF, San Jose, LA, Chicago, Wash/Balt, Boston, Philly -- all have many of the same issues as Seattle.
Vancouver -- lots of good, but too close to Seattle, Cost of Living is pretty high, and in Canada which legally complicates
**Toronto -- even more to offer, but in Canada
*Detroit -- lots to offer and in rebuilding mode instead of collapse mode. I think could be underrated contender
**Dallas
Houston
Minneapolis/St Paul
Austin -- pretty good social fit, but already having so many growing pains
**Denver -- seems almost perfect except for proximity to West Coast
**Atlanta -- horrendous traffic issues, mediocre mass transit on a good day, could Amazon handle the extremely social conservative nature
Charlotte or better Raleigh Durham Triangle
Jacksonville

Bezos has connection to the Wash/Balt area -- owns a new house, Wash Post

I guessing the final 5 -- not in order
Detroit
Atlanta
Dallas
Denver
Minn/St Paul
Toronto -- I'll throw this in as a long shot Bonus International

Denver -- my winner.

 

[Dave B Ferris]

I'll go with a sleeper that is close-to local for me: Irvine, CA.

 

[Jeff Brooks]

Unfortunately?

(More traffic.)

 

[DaveF]

I’m kinda betting against NoVA, where I live, because I worry it would wreck the housing market even worse than it is.

 

[DaveF]

Also, the official candidate list was posted on the 18th.

https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17044620011

 

[Malcolm R]

I would expect something near the east coast or southeast to balance the other HQ in the northwest. Probably Atlanta, Raleigh, or Miami.

 

[KeithAP]

I read some speculation that most of the cities on the list are just filler and that Amazon has already narrowed their choices down to 1 or 2 cities and is just using the others as leverage to try and get the best deal possible. I tend to believe that because no corporation in their right mind would build such a facility in California or New York.

-Keith

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

So they picked NYC and DC. Why all the year-long drama?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Why all the year-long drama?

To gin up fake competition amongst the political leaderships of the various areas who wanted to be in contention...and thusly driving up the sweetheart deals (on tax exemptions, etc.) offered by the competitors.

So they picked NYC and DC.

Makes that outcome all the more predictable now, right?

 

[Malcolm R]

Rather pointless. I thought maybe they would try and help revitalize a struggling area, like maybe Detroit or somewhere in Ohio. I guess not.

 

[JQuintana]

What a sham.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Rather pointless. I thought maybe they would try and help revitalize a struggling area, like maybe Detroit or somewhere in Ohio. I guess not.

They're main interest is to make more money for Amazon and not revitalize some struggling city.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I tend to believe that because no corporation in their right mind would build such a facility in California or New York.

-Keith

I tend to agree with you, but Bezos went ahead and will build a facility in New York.