Amazon will invest $5 billion in a second headquarters in a North American city outside of Seattle.
Amazon.com Inc. already has a sprawling Seattle headquarters that attests to its size and ambition. Now the world's largest online retailer plans to open a second North American campus -- dubbed HQ2 -- that Amazon says could be just as big as the existing one.
The company is asking local and state governments to submit proposals for a development that will likely cost more than $5 billion over the next 15 to 17 years and give the winning city or town an enormous economic boost. Amazon is already one of the biggest employers in Seattle and expects the new headquarters to house as many as 50,000 workers, many of them new hires. Cities have until next month to apply through a special website, and the company said it will make a final decision next year.
The mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, quickly expressed interest. So did officials in Chicago; Philadelphia; Hartford, Connecticut; Tulsa, Oklahoma; St. Louis; and Rhode Island, demonstrating that Amazon will wield a lot of leverage in making its choice.
"We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters," founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos said in a statement. "Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs."
Will the new HQ be in the U.S.?
Additional coverage at Reuters, NPR, Business Wire and The Washington Post
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Cities Dream Of Landing Amazon's New HQ And They're Going To Great Lengths To Show It
Officials in Tucson, Ariz., uprooted a 21-foot-tall saguaro cactus and tried to have it delivered to Amazon's Seattle headquarters. Birmingham constructed giant Amazon boxes and placed them around the Alabama city. In Missouri, Kansas City's mayor bought a thousand items online from Amazon and posted reviews of each one.
All of these cities are clearly trying hard to get Amazon's attention. Why? Because they know that otherwise, they don't stand a chance against some big-name cities that are all trying to win the contest to land Amazon's second headquarters.
The retail giant announced a month ago that it has plans for a second home outside of Seattle, where it is currently headquartered. The project has been named HQ2, and the deadline for final bids is Thursday. Amazon has promised to invest $5 billion and said the facility will create as many as 50,000 jobs.
It has led to a mad scramble from cities across the nation and even in Canada. And various publications have analyzed cities' chances of landing this deal. Atlanta, Denver and Pittsburgh have made it to a few of those lists.
Many cities don't really figure as finalists on any of those lists. But that hasn't stopped them. In fact, just like Tucson or Birmingham, cities are pulling out all the stops to get noticed.
The Amazonk Prometheans may be coming to your city...
Previously: Amazon Spheres Add to Seattle's Quirky Architecture
Amazon Acquires Whole Foods for $13.7 Billion
Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Second HQ Outside of Seattle
Amazon Looks to New Food Technology for Home Delivery
'A Major Distraction': Is A Megadeal Like Amazon's HQ2 Always Worth It?
Thursday marks the deadline for bids in Amazon's highly publicized search for the location of its second headquarters, dubbed HQ2. Cities are clamoring to land the conglomerate's project and its unparalleled promise of up to 50,000 jobs paying an average of $100,000, at one of the world's fastest-growing companies.
But with that comes some public soul-searching: How much should a city or state subsidize a wealthy American corporation in exchange for such a shiny promise? [...] Financial incentives are among numerous criteria Amazon included in its solicitation of bids. [...] By multiple estimates, Amazon has already cashed in on more than $1 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies and incentives for its warehouses, data centers and other operations.
[...] "I often thought, as governor, it would be sort of nice, if all the governors just got together and said, 'Look, we're just not going to play this anymore,' " says former Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle. Doyle was at the helm during the financial crisis in 2008, when General Motors shuttered plants, including a factory in Janesville, Wis. But later, the automaker said it would reopen one location, bringing back the jobs. Wisconsin put together its largest incentive package yet — Doyle says he felt an obligation to — but it lost to Michigan's even bigger offer. [...] Since then, Wisconsin has become infamous for its eye-popping $3-billion financial incentive to get a Foxconn liquid-crystal display plant.
Previously: Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Second HQ Outside of Seattle
Cities Desperate to Become the Location of Amazon's "Second Headquarters"
October 19th was the deadline to submit bids to become the host city for Amazon's second headquarters. 238 proposals were submitted:
Amazon.com Inc's $5 billion second headquarters and its promise of up to 50,000 jobs attracted 238 proposals from 54 states, provinces and districts in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the company said on Monday.
Regions and cities in 43 U.S. states from Maine to Alaska, as well as Washington, D.C., submitted bids by the Oct. 19 deadline, Amazon said. The states that did not bid were Arkansas, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
Canadian bids came from the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. Mexican bids emanated from the states of Chihuahua, Hidalgo and Queretaro. Other bidders included Puerto Rico, which is struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria and is in the process of restructuring its sagging finances in court.
Details of the bids, including tax breaks and other incentives being offered to entice the internet retailer, were scarce as some bidders cited competitive reasons or nondisclosure policies.
New Jersey offered $7 billion in tax credits for a Newark headquarters, while Chicago offered $2.25 billion of incentives, including tax credits, property tax breaks, $450 million in infrastructure improvements, $250 million in "Neighborhood Opportunity Funds", and potentially free land. The mayor of Stonecrest, an Atlanta suburb, offered 345 acres of industrial land on which a new city called Amazon could be built, with Jeff Bezos as mayor-for-life.
Also at First Post, NYT, and the Chicago Tribune.
Previously: Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Second HQ Outside of Seattle
Cities Desperate to Become the Location of Amazon's "Second Headquarters"
Is A Mega-Deal Like Amazon's HQ2 Always Worth It?
Amazon in advanced talks about putting HQ2 in Northern Virginia, those close to process say
Amazon.com has held advanced discussions about the possibility of opening its highly sought-after second headquarters in Crystal City, including how quickly it would move employees there, which buildings it would occupy and how an announcement about the move would be made to the public, according to people close to the process.
The discussions were more detailed than those the company has had regarding other locations in Northern Virginia and some other cities nationally, adding to speculation that the site in Arlington County is a front-runner to land the online retail giant's second North American headquarters and its 50,000 jobs.
The company is so close to making its choice that Crystal City's top real estate developer, JBG Smith, has pulled some of its buildings off the leasing market and officials in the area have discussed how to make an announcement to the public this month, following the midterm elections, according to public and private-sector officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because Amazon has asked that the selection process remain confidential. The company may be having similar discussions with other finalists.
[...] [After] publication of this story, Mike Grella, director of economic development for Amazon, posted on Twitter: "Memo to the genius leaking info about Crystal City, VA as #HQ2 selection. You're not doing Crystal City, VA any favors. And stop treating the NDA you signed like a used napkin," he said in reference to the nondisclosure agreements that Amazon required finalists to sign.
The Amazon Washington Post confirms it.
Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia.
Previously: Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Second HQ Outside of Seattle
Cities Desperate to Become the Location of Amazon's "Second Headquarters"
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday September 08 2017, @11:21PM
Miami and Houston are at the front of the list, after pointing out that Amazon is currently in a bad area: delivery of rain is just too slow.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 08 2017, @11:30PM
Whaaaa! multi billion dollar crybaby welfare queens. any state or local government that submits a proposal should be immediately removed from office
(Score: 5, Interesting) by frojack on Friday September 08 2017, @11:32PM (8 children)
After billions in tax breaks given to Amazon by the State and the City, its just getting too expensive to live there. Then there is the regularly scheduled hugely disruptive street protests. There's a public shooting every day on the news. Every park is a shooting gallery of a different kind.
The streets and parks and underpasses are full of homeless, driven out of their apartments by rising prices, and taxed out of their homes by rising real estate taxes. (And homeless people in campers and decrepit motor homes imported from 5 states away by Seattle's liberal government).
What's a billionaire to do?
What's that you say? Tax the Rich??? [seattletimes.com]
Run, run away! Build me an escape route quick!!!
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 08 2017, @11:55PM (6 children)
Maybe. Could also be just another way to get even more tax breaks. I think that whole company is built upon them.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday September 09 2017, @01:17AM (5 children)
San Diego is also courting Amazon [sandiegouniontribune.com] for their new headquarters.
It would be a good place given our tech talent and our supply of cheap Tijuana Mexicans. Bezos, however, can go fuck himself. Nobody, but nobody outside of 10-person co-ops will ever be able to bring the Seattle and San Francisco corporate cultures here, in any industry outside of coffee and organic vegetables. I dare those motherfuckers to try. Any manager transplanted from Seattle foolish enough to try and lay down those laws will be subject to revolt and intimidated right out his own front door.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Saturday September 09 2017, @02:34AM (1 child)
I give Jeff a hard time, sometimes. A lot, a lot of shit. But it's all in fun. I think he knows I'm just having some fun with him. Because when we take off the suits, we're the same underneath. Both businessmen. Very, very successful businessmen. He's an OK guy, we had a good meeting. So I didn't stop his Whole Foods deal. His Amazon bought a food store. Which sells certain vegetables and fruits. Maybe coffee. I mean, I think it has coffee. Ivanka gets a lot of her food from there. They're always delivering food to her.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday September 09 2017, @02:47AM
Hey man, I never buy anything from them except their dozens of raw oysters.
Know which other stores sell raw oysters around here? None. Unless you wanna go straight to the docks and the boats to get raw oysters and who has time for that shit? And that's a goddamn shame. Because you can get anything from the Gook places except for fresh oysters. Clams, Geoducks, giant isopods, horseshoe crab, remoras, but no raw oysters. You can even bring in your own fish you just caught from Lake Miramar and they'll clean and season and flash-fry it for you on the spot, for a small fee of course. And slash-fried fish is good. But no raw oysters.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @02:55AM (1 child)
So is Buffalo, NY -- similar story to the one you found for San Diego. In this case the shortcomings center around the high cost of doing business in NY State...
If by chance Buffalo was chosen, it's a full circle. An early, really big mail order operation was the Larkin Company, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larkin_Company [wikipedia.org]
Sadly, wright's innovative Larkin Administration Building has been torn down, but many other buildings survive and are currently being renovated into high class commercial and residential space.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 10 2017, @05:56AM
Hey, I got a +1 Interesting for Buffalo.
Thinking about it a little further, Wheatfield (in between Buffalo and Niagara Falls) could be a very good location. This is the site of Niagara Falls airport which used to be Bell Field, Bell Aircraft Company, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Aircraft [wikipedia.org] This airport is active with a small Air Guard operation, a few charter airlines and recent buildings for Calspan and other aerospace/high-tech companies. It has a pretty long runway and very little traffic. Plenty of room to build (or reuse giant old Bell buildings) and Amazon could pretty much have their own airport. Very close to Canada and Toronto, nearby freeway could be extended over to this airport. No doubt they would qualify for low cost electricity from Niagara Falls hydro.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Saturday September 09 2017, @10:04PM
Eth is kinda cute when he's scared.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Saturday September 09 2017, @12:37AM
(Score: 4, Insightful) by TheGratefulNet on Saturday September 09 2017, @01:02AM (7 children)
amazon attracts progressive thinks (as do most high tech companies).
the deep south is still more than 100 years behind the rest of the country when it comes to equal rights for EVERYONE, no religion forced down your throats, etc.
I can't see amazon going down to the deep south. if they do, I am sure they will regret it. the south is just not ready to change (as we have seen with the nazis and kkk bullshit that has now been given the 'ok' by our orangutan in charge).
yeah, its low cost to live there, but you could not pay me to live in such a backwoods area of the country like that.
I bet amazon knows this, too.
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday September 09 2017, @01:41AM
They have some assets down there:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Amazon.com_locations [wikipedia.org]
We'll see.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by qzm on Saturday September 09 2017, @04:35AM (1 child)
So, by equal rights for everyone, you appear to mean equal rights for everyone who agrees with YOU, or who YOU think deserves them?
I can only assume that, as you have singled out 2 groups, 1 area of a country, and 1 individual who you seem to believe should have their rights curtailed, or at least be abused for using those rights?
Ever read animal farm? I bet you think your targeted groups above are the pigs, right? hmmmm...
You do realize what you appear to be caught up in your own form of religion, right? no?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @05:02PM
You have an odd point of view, equating choices of ideology (KKK, Nazi, Christian Identity, Feminism, to name a few ideological groups I find reprehensible) with circumstance of birth (black, Hispanic, homosexual-not-lesbian, trans, to name a few demographics the former groups seek to eradicate).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @05:59PM (1 child)
You obviously hate this country. You hate our values.
Have you thought about London? You might like it. Paris, Berlin, and Stockholm are some other places you should consider.
There are good reasons for you to move rather than us. You don't like the 1st amendment ("muh freeze peach", the "hate speech" concept, ANTIFA, etc.) and 2nd amendment. You won't have much luck getting rid of them here, but the entire rest of the world never got them. Those of us who like those things have nowhere else to go, but you can go anywhere. For us, this is our last stand against your type. This is our only hope for the 1st and 2nd amendment rights, so we aren't leaving and we aren't giving up the fight. We won't stop you from leaving. Go. You hate us; there is little reason to stay and every reason to go.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @10:08PM
Yeah, after apartheid fell in South Africa, and since Islam is too progressive, there really is no place to go. Poor American Right-wing Nut-jobs!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @06:56PM
the deep south is still more than 100 years behind the rest of the country when it comes to equal rights for EVERYONE, no religion forced down your throats, etc.
you have never actually BEEN in the south have you? bless your heart.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday September 10 2017, @02:03AM
I see you're still hating on a part of the country for behavior that went away many decades ago. I wonder how you can think that "equal rights for EVERYONE" is somehow better represented in the typical large, racially segregated urban areas like Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, etc than it is in the "deep south".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @01:45AM
Amazon has gotten too big, and their service has deteriorated notably. They had better watch out - the FTC is on its ass.
(Score: 3, Informative) by edIII on Saturday September 09 2017, @02:38AM (2 children)
How about no fucking proposals and you avaricious pieces of shit that run Amazon can deal with the local community on an equal footing? Why do we need to fall down and thank our lucky stars that we now have the glorious opportunity to grovel before Amazon, spend taxpayer money, and purchase badly needed (but still not living wage) jobs for X multiples of what a regular worker makes per year?
That's how these fucking deals go down. After all is said and done we gave tax breaks and other financial boons to sociopathic fucking twats that end up putting dick into the community.
Of course politicians and officials are jizzing in their pants because this is how backroom corruption is done. There will be some rich and connected people that will get richer. Average Joe Sixpack will still be as fucked as he was before and wondering why he is paying taxes so that Amazon can come to his city.
These deals are always net negative for the citizenry. Always.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @03:24PM (1 child)
You're absolutely right, but your mistake is that a) you think that this is not by design. and b) you think that people care. "People" (and this includes myself) are dumb, incredibly, stupendously dumb.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @05:11PM
I don't think dumb is quite correct. Obviously the masses skew dumb. The normal curve of intelligence means that for every person with an IQ of 130, there is a person with an IQ of 70, but these are getting towards the thin ends of the curve. I assume most people here live in the microscopic end of the curve where Mensa IQs may be found (whether any of us have valued group membership in Mensa enough to obtain it). However, I've seen more willful ignorance and devotion to ideology based on "facts" that have been objectively disproven, if the ideology as a whole has not been proven deleterious, than simple stupidity. I believe it's an active choice of privileging group membership over objective truth.
Either way, I'll concede the that effect taken as a whole is that of dumbness.
(Score: 2, Informative) by terryk30 on Saturday September 09 2017, @12:21PM (1 child)
Disclaimer: I'm not bringing this up because of the silly trailing question in TFS!
It looks like up here we'll also be falling over each other "bidding" for this:
Amazon scouting location for 2nd headquarters — and Canadian cities want in [www.cbc.ca]
However I see the quoted Bloomberg article also noting that:
("campus" - oh brother...) which makes it sound like it would be in the U.S. However the linked W. Post article gives more of the context for the Canadian interest:
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @10:27PM
Oh please, please, please let them move out! Lots and lots of relocations!
Maybe we can get our state back from the stranglehold of transplanted californicators...
(Score: 1) by TrentDavey on Saturday September 09 2017, @11:52PM
... it's gonna wreak havoc on every state - not just the eastern seaboard.