Where will Amazon's HQ2 end up?

[caleb]

You've heard, but here: Amazon Is Planning a Second Headquarters With 5, Jobs - The New York Times

So where does it end up?

I'm assuming here that they won't go to a non-English speaking city, so Montreal and Mexico City are out.

My speculative shortlist is:

Toronto
Charlotte
Austin
Minneapolis

Toronto seems like a good candidate if they want geographic diversity and open-ish immigration policies. Of course, if they don't care about geographic diversity, Vancouver would be a contender.

Charlotte seems like the place if they want to be in a nice big city in the eastern timezone. Savanna is great but too small. I suppose Raleigh-Durham would be a possibility.

Austin and Minneapolis could attract and retain the sort of workers they want, but might not be different enough (geography, vibe, etcetera) from Seattle to be attractive. I doubt either city would cut them a sweetheart deal, either.

That's all pure speculation, but if they land in a midsize city it will be transformative for that place.

Where do you suppose they end up?

[TTX1]

You've heard, but here: Amazon Is Planning a Second Headquarters With 5, Jobs - The New York Times

So where does it end up?

I'm assuming here that they won't go to a non-English speaking city, so Montreal and Mexico City are out.

My speculative shortlist is:

Toronto
Charlotte
Austin
Minneapolis

Toronto seems like a good candidate if they want geographic diversity and open-ish immigration policies. Of course, if they don't care about geographic diversity, Vancouver would be a contender.

Charlotte seems like the place if they want to be in a nice big city in the eastern timezone. Savanna is great but too small. I suppose Raleigh-Durham would be a possibility.

Austin and Minneapolis could attract and retain the sort of workers they want, but might not be different enough (geography, vibe, etcetera) from Seattle to be attractive. I doubt either city would cut them a sweetheart deal, either.

That's all pure speculation, but if they land in a midsize city it will be transformative for that place.

Where do you suppose they end up?

Solid guesses.

I'll add: someplace desperate enough to give them a deal they can't refuse. Like the WI-Foxconn deal, but closer to the population they need. Maybe someplace like Baltimore...

[Matthew Strongin]

I'd guess Raleigh.

[TMB]

Metro Vancouver

[roseyscot]

I know two people who work for Amazon and live in central CT. I'm betting all my money on Hartford!

Hahaha. Malloy would f up any chance of that happening

[rwsaunders]

Raleigh is too small with an MSA of 500,000...must be over 1,000,000 per the RFP. The RFP is quite interesting....only 8 pages of requirements in seeking to develop a campus for 40,000 employees. At 200 SF/FTE that's about 8,000,000 SF. I'd wager that quality public transportation, access to higher-ed, urban logostics and regional lifestyle will win the prize...all key factors mentioned in the RFP, in addition to sweetening the pot with corporate incentives. Essentially, they know the profile of their typical employee and the key elements that those employees seek out both in a workplace and for their personal lives outside of the workplace. Those traits will lead them to the right location.

[David Tollefson]

New Delhi or Mumbai...

[davids]

So. Which American cities have quality public transportation?

[gt6267a]

Those considerations and more are laid out in Amazon’s detailed wish list for its new project, which it is calling HQ2. In addition to a metropolitan area with more than one million residents, Amazon insists that its new project have on-site access to mass transit, a commute of 45 minutes or less to an international airport and easy access to a major highway or arterial road — no more than two miles.

I'm thinking its in the lower 48. my vote is for atlanta. great international airport. marta is not wonderful but amazon would be an incredible influence to expand. the mid-town / down-town development is going crazy right now. amazon coming would bring that over the top. with Georgia tech intown, there is a good source of talent ...

[rwsaunders]

Pithad a great public transportation system...up until 1967...

[Matthew J]

My speculative shortlist is:

Toronto
Charlotte
Austin
Minneapolis

This is Amazon. Unless Texas and NC change their anti-trans, vote restrictive, and a couple other Red State laws, doubt very much they go to either city.

Minneapolis and Toronto would be good candidates.

Chicago has three well placed large plots of land - one just south of the central business district and two north - currently in early stages of development. Amazon could very quickly step in and make something spectacular at either one of them.

Denver seems a good candidate as well, but I think Amazon may want to venture east or at least upon the Mississippi.

[Matthew J]

I'm betting all my money on Hartford!

Would not appear to meet the population requirement.

[mjbabcock]

I think any of the following are plausible:
Detroit? They could turn the entire city around just like they did with South Lake Union.
Boston? Property is spendy, but that hasn't stopped them out here.
I could see somewhere in Mexico? Just to put a finger in the administration's eye? This isn't necessarily distribution, so I don't know

[Saab2000]

Washington DC metro has a highly educated population and acceptable public transportation. I could see this one happening. Minneapolis/St. Paul has up and coming public transportation and also has an educated population. People like living there. It's a very good place to live and the negative impact of winters is grossly overstated by people unfamiliar with the area.

I could also see Toronto but I don't know much about the business climate in Canada or to what extent Amazon wants to grow in Canada. It seems totally reasonable though.

Austin, Texas is growing in leaps and bounds.

Interesting RFP, that's for sure.

[dashDustin]

Those considerations and more are laid out in Amazon’s detailed wish list for its new project, which it is calling HQ2. In addition to a metropolitan area with more than one million residents, Amazon insists that its new project have on-site access to mass transit, a commute of 45 minutes or less to an international airport and easy access to a major highway or arterial road — no more than two miles.

i've heard mumbling of it potentially being near the new Oracle office in Austin. A spot there would satisfy all the requirements and be near a shit ton of apartments.

Oracle will be a dramatic change to the Riverside area...throwing in Amazon or Google would be incredible.

[Tamu8104]

I fear Austin could be an option. As a homeowner that sounds great. As a cyclist who seems to be living progressively deeper in a large city, I hate the idea.

[davids]

I think any of the following are plausible:
Detroit? They could turn the entire city around just like they did with South Lake Union.
Boston? Property is spendy, but that hasn't stopped them out here.
I could see somewhere in Mexico? Just to put a finger in the administration's eye? This isn't necessarily distribution, so I don't know

Detroit would be an awesome choice.



Boston would be tough - we've already got a lot of the same issues as Seattle when it comes to property costs. And I can't easily imagine a spot for the campus (bigger than the Pentagon!) anywhere except a suburban location that would negate a lot of Boston's urban advantages.

[Saab2000]

I fear Austin could be an option. As a homeowner that sounds great. As a cyclist who seems to be living progressively deeper in a large city, I hate the idea.

Same situation in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The only natural boundary to expansion is the St. Croix River that separates Minnesota and Wisconsin. It's getting stupid expensive there and the suburban sprawl and expansion seems to know no bounds. Places that were semi-rural just at the edges of the suburbs just a few years ago are being clear cut for development of more box homes and strip malls.

I say this as a cyclist with roots in the Twin Cities. It is still probably a good option for a large company like Amazon.

[72gmc]

I'd wager that quality public transportation, access to higher-ed, urban logostics and regional lifestyle will win the prize...

Amazon's current HQ has all but the first. I'm dreaming of a time when Seattle gets its transportation act together.

[72gmc]

Detroit would be an awesome choice.

I agree, from a sentimental perspective. I wonder how an event such as this might overwhelm their local government and infrastructure.