Well, we got it, after a fashion. Not the sole HQ2 and not really in my backyard. But a major office here in NoVA. I’m waiting to see how this plays out.
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Place your bets on winner of Amazon's HQ2 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Dennis Nicholls
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You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
“1. Why did Amazon pick more than one location for its new headquarters?
2. What differentiates the two new headquarters locations ...?
3. How did you pick New York City and Northern Virginia as headquarters?
4. Where will the headquarters be located ...?”
https://blog.aboutamazon.com/compan...ty-and-northern-virginia-for-new-headquarters
“1. Why did Amazon pick more than one location for its new headquarters?
2. What differentiates the two new headquarters locations ...?
3. How did you pick New York City and Northern Virginia as headquarters?
4. Where will the headquarters be located ...?”
https://blog.aboutamazon.com/compan...ty-and-northern-virginia-for-new-headquarters
Which is my main problem with it as states are giving away billions in tax breaks for companies across America.
And I'll need to not comment further on this kind of process (and its effectiveness) because I'm afraid my thoughts on the issue are too political in nature.
Dennis Nicholls
Senior HTF Member
Maybe they can't tell their headquarters from their hindquarters.
You would think they would have come up with a distinctive term such as "cloudquarters".
It only gets political if you want to go there, as I think people having issues with tax breaks for multi-billion dollar corporations is not bound to political philosophy. I don't think municipalities and states are getting enough in return for giving such tax breaks.
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JQuintana
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Yep, if you read many online news stories, it spells out exactly why Bezos chose where he chose. 100% political.
Case in point.
In NY's case, it is very much a highly-charged political position as to whether or not government-subsidized tax breaks and corporate "gifts" are either proper and/or effective.
I'd be more than happy to give my opinion on the matter, but it would be seen as blatantly political by anyone in NYS (and, frankly, I think by most people in the US).
These are government decisions and NOTHING in government happens in a political vacuum.
I don't agree with you that it has to be political. Anyhow, I'm against them and it has nothing to do with politics for me, but that the corporations are benefiting more than the states and it appears to be not even close. I'm done!
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Yeah. I'm not saying it HAS to be. But in NY, it just IS.
But then, everything in NY government is political.
And, for the record Robert, I agree with you 100% about the ineffectiveness of such schemes.
But then, everything in NY government is political.
And, for the record Robert, I agree with you 100% about the ineffectiveness of such schemes.
Virginia is giving about $22k per (high-paying) job created by Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised, fearing it would be something absurd like the $100k for low wage jobs we’ve seen in other states. So, I haven’t run the numbers, but this seems like there could be a plausible payback duration for the state. And the win fits NoVA as a high-tech, east-coast internet corridor. (Data Centers are sprouting like weeds in my area...to the consternation of homeowners).
Maybe I’ll even see a little bit of home value increase out here in the ‘burbs from the jobs growth.
We’ll see. Fingers crossed and all that.
Maybe I’ll even see a little bit of home value increase out here in the ‘burbs from the jobs growth.
We’ll see. Fingers crossed and all that.
Dennis Nicholls
Senior HTF Member
Well that didn't last long.
Amazon pulls out of its plans for HQ2 in Queens, NYC.
https://www.npr.org/2019/02/14/694740118/amazon-drops-plans-for-new-york-headquarters
It looks like DC will be the "sole" HQ2
Amazon pulls out of its plans for HQ2 in Queens, NYC.
https://www.npr.org/2019/02/14/694740118/amazon-drops-plans-for-new-york-headquarters
It looks like DC will be the "sole" HQ2
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo accused the local officials who spoke out against the plan of committing "political malpractice." They argued that it would have destroyed a number of neighborhoods in Queens (especially Long Island City where it was to be located).
Just a typical NY political quagmire.
Just a typical NY political quagmire.
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- Josh Steinberg
I live in Long Island City and, at least as it was laid out for us locals, I saw potential benefits, but I saw even more potential problems, and I did not see a good faith effort from Amazon to address those concerns. Perhaps now they’ll stop sending me flyers on a daily basis!
I don't know if this is good or bad for NYC (and likewise, TBD on Virginia's deal with Amazon for a regional office).
But it's obvious to everyone, except maybe Jeff Bezos, that Amazon did this "headquarters" search in the worst, most disingenuous way possible.
But it's obvious to everyone, except maybe Jeff Bezos, that Amazon did this "headquarters" search in the worst, most disingenuous way possible.
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I think it had potential to offer some positive change, and also had some potential to exacerbate a lot of local infrastructure problems that we have. I was initially excited at the announcement they'd be coming, but as details started to come out (and just as importantly, as certain information didn't come out), it started to feel like not the greatest idea.
From a selfish point of view, the proposed headquarters would have been on my subway line, which is currently a disaster - it is taken out of service each and every day for hours at a time for unspecified repairs and cosmetic changes that never seem to address the core problems, and it simply could not handle the kind of increase in traffic that a new office building for 20,000 workers would have brought into the neighborhood. Neither Amazon nor our state government (which controls the subway system) were willing to seriously acknowledge or address how this would be handled. Additionally, our rents in the area have already skyrocketed over the last 5-10 years beyond recognition, and I can't imagine a new Amazon facility helping with that.
It seemed like the addition of the new facility was going to make life very difficult for a lot of local residents, and it was never entirely clear what benefit was being offered in return.
From a selfish point of view, the proposed headquarters would have been on my subway line, which is currently a disaster - it is taken out of service each and every day for hours at a time for unspecified repairs and cosmetic changes that never seem to address the core problems, and it simply could not handle the kind of increase in traffic that a new office building for 20,000 workers would have brought into the neighborhood. Neither Amazon nor our state government (which controls the subway system) were willing to seriously acknowledge or address how this would be handled. Additionally, our rents in the area have already skyrocketed over the last 5-10 years beyond recognition, and I can't imagine a new Amazon facility helping with that.
It seemed like the addition of the new facility was going to make life very difficult for a lot of local residents, and it was never entirely clear what benefit was being offered in return.
Dennis Nicholls
Senior HTF Member
IIUC the place in metro DC is the old Crystal City complex in Arlington. I spent a lot of time there working for the cruise missile program office. The Navy moved out of Crystal City some time ago and again IIUC the buildings are mostly empty and the infrastructure (Metro, roads, restaurants, etc.) is already in place.
Yes. It’s about as close to DC while still being in Virginia as you can get. I understand there’s a lot of office space to rent, a big underground mall that’s recovering from a decline from former days of glory. I have a friend who works there and can see the eventual Amazon building from her office ... and she’s love to get a new job with them when they’re hiring.
The potential practical problem is that this amazon office isn’t going to create new jobs in the short term. It will mostly poach people from existing jobs and cause talent shortages in other places. It’s noy like 25,000 new people are moving later this year for new Amazon jobs. Eventually, people will presumable move out to fill the void from the Amazon-induced talent rearrangement and even into some Amazon jobs too.
The potential practical problem is that this amazon office isn’t going to create new jobs in the short term. It will mostly poach people from existing jobs and cause talent shortages in other places. It’s noy like 25,000 new people are moving later this year for new Amazon jobs. Eventually, people will presumable move out to fill the void from the Amazon-induced talent rearrangement and even into some Amazon jobs too.
