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posted by Fnord666 on Sunday November 04 2018, @05:08PM   Printer-friendly
from the convenient-for-transporting-data dept.

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.

Also at CNBC and CNN.

Previously: Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Second HQ Outside of Seattle
Cities Desperate to Become the Location of Amazon's "Second Headquarters"


Original Submission

Related Stories

Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Second HQ Outside of Seattle 26 comments

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."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-07/amazon-hunting-for-second-u-s-headquarters-to-host-50-000-staff

Will the new HQ be in the U.S.?

Additional coverage at Reuters, NPR, Business Wire and The Washington Post


Original Submission

Cities Desperate to Become the Location of Amazon's "Second Headquarters" 37 comments

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


Original Submission

Amazon Faces Growing Competition, and More 15 comments

Amazon is temporarily removing the $25 minimum order requirement for free shipping. Target has done the same in an attempt to gain more holiday shopping customers. Walmart has offered free shipping for $35+ orders since January 2017.

Amazon is hiring fewer temporary workers for the 2018 holiday season, which may be due to its increasing use of robots and automation, according to a Citi analyst.

The Washington Post reported that Crystal City (Arlington), Virginia was Amazon's likely choice for its second headquarters. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that Dallas, TX, and New York City are also in late-stage talks with the company. Amazon may also decide to build smaller sites in multiple cities.

Also at Forbes.

Update: Amazon will reportedly split HQ2 between two cities

See also: Amazon will soon let you pick which day your package arrives
Saudis Call for Amazon Boycott Over Anger at Washington Post


Original Submission

Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Headquarters 21 comments

Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Headquarters

Amazon on Thursday canceled its plans to build an expansive corporate campus in New York City after facing an unexpectedly fierce backlash from lawmakers, progressive activists and union leaders, who contended that a tech giant did not deserve nearly $3 billion in government incentives.

The decision was an abrupt turnabout by Amazon after a much-publicized search for a second headquarters, which had ended with its announcement in November that it would open two new sites — one in Queens, with more than 25,000 jobs, and another in Virginia.

Amazon's retreat was a blow to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, damaging their effort to further diversify the city's economy by making it an inviting location for the technology industry.

The agreement to lure Amazon to Long Island City, Queens, had stirred intense debate in New York about the use of public subsidies to entice wealthy companies, the rising cost of living in gentrifying neighborhoods, and the city's very identity.

Also at the Long Island City Post, CNBC, CNN, and the Washington Post.

Previously: Amazon Said to be Close to Picking Crystal City, Virginia for Second Headquarters
Amazon Reportedly Picks New York, Northern Virginia for HQ2


Original Submission   Alternate Submission

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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @05:12PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @05:12PM (#757663)

    At least they'll save on airfare for their lobbyists, and besides, the Post is there, and the pentagon...

    • (Score: 2) by bradley13 on Sunday November 04 2018, @10:17PM (1 child)

      by bradley13 (3053) on Sunday November 04 2018, @10:17PM (#757747) Homepage Journal

      This. If they move to VA, it's only ti be closer to the swamp.

      --
      Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @11:09PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @11:09PM (#757771)

        But Trump is draining the swamp. He said so.

  • (Score: 2) by Virindi on Sunday November 04 2018, @07:00PM (7 children)

    by Virindi (3484) on Sunday November 04 2018, @07:00PM (#757698)

    As someone who has lived in Arlington all of their life, including an apartment in Crystal City, I'd like to say no thanks. We're good here, pick somewhere else.

    • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday November 04 2018, @08:19PM (6 children)

      by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Sunday November 04 2018, @08:19PM (#757712)

      I imagine as a local you will be paying Amazon massive amounts of money to come, but you won't be allowed to know how much, due to the the NDA.

      "Commercial sensitivity" indeed.

      • (Score: 4, Informative) by Virindi on Sunday November 04 2018, @08:56PM (5 children)

        by Virindi (3484) on Sunday November 04 2018, @08:56PM (#757725)

        Yep. Nestle recently also moved to Arlington, so we're already paying this kind of bribe money. The County Board here has for decades acted like they have an infinite supply of money, building lavish construction projects as monuments to their power. It was a massive fight to even cut one of them, enough that we got the first non-Democrat elected since forever (he's an independent). But, it is a losing battle.

        • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday November 04 2018, @09:57PM (2 children)

          by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Sunday November 04 2018, @09:57PM (#757738)

          Nestle are nearly as good at scamming money out of taxpayers as Hollywood is.

          Republicans are just as keen on paying massively profitable businesses to relocate as Democrats are. Have a look what happened to Kansas if you don't believe me.

          Maybe you guys should figure out how to get some more political parties going.

          • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Virindi on Sunday November 04 2018, @10:54PM (1 child)

            by Virindi (3484) on Sunday November 04 2018, @10:54PM (#757762)

            Republicans are just as keen on paying massively profitable businesses to relocate as Democrats are.

            Certainly. The problem I was referring to is that it is one party rule. Anytime one party has a massive majority and has little chance of ever losing, corruption reigns. Here, it is the Democrats, but it could be any party.

            • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday November 04 2018, @11:56PM

              by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Sunday November 04 2018, @11:56PM (#757784)

              You're quite right, one party rule is the big problem in the US, but the people who really run the joint like things the way they are, so good luck changing the system.

        • (Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday November 04 2018, @11:01PM (1 child)

          by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Sunday November 04 2018, @11:01PM (#757770) Journal

          A friend of mine doubts there is enough room for Amazon to pick Crystal City. Looks like we'll get to find out this month.

          --
          [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
          • (Score: 2) by Virindi on Sunday November 04 2018, @11:34PM

            by Virindi (3484) on Sunday November 04 2018, @11:34PM (#757778)

            That was certainly the case a few years ago, but the military has moved a lot of stuff out of there (they used to use all the office space along Army Navy Drive) to MD to save money due to high real estate prices. The DEA is still there and everything, but my understanding is those office buildings are not at high occupancy anymore. My guess is that this is the space that they planned to use.

  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday November 04 2018, @08:06PM (1 child)

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Sunday November 04 2018, @08:06PM (#757710) Homepage Journal

    I can't find any. They're all in Arlington or DC.

    I shall persist.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    • (Score: 3, Informative) by Virindi on Sunday November 04 2018, @09:02PM

      by Virindi (3484) on Sunday November 04 2018, @09:02PM (#757728)

      "Crystal City" is really just a neighborhood, and a developer-created one as well. It is a name invented by what was the Charles E. Smith corporation for a group of buildings he constructed 50 years ago or so. (This is the JBG Smith mentioned in the summary, previously Charles E. Smith, Archstone Smith, etc.)

  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @10:39PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @10:39PM (#757759)

    "You're not doing Crystal City, VA any favors."

    Perhaps the leak is from one of the other 2 city's?

  • (Score: 2) by Valkor on Monday November 05 2018, @03:02AM

    by Valkor (4253) on Monday November 05 2018, @03:02AM (#757831)

    They'll just dodge taxes anyway. I sure as hell wouldn't want them to move in to my town.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 05 2018, @04:21AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 05 2018, @04:21AM (#757848)

    With any luck, Amazon will start to pull out of Seattle in big numbers. It's not as if they don't already have an adversarial relationship with the city government. Remember the "Amazon Tax" and the city council backing down when they realised just how epically buttfucked they'd be if Amazon started to pull back? This is a sharp reminder to Seattle that if they don't start playing nicer, there are other places in the world - hell, in the country.

    If Amazon pulls ten thousand white collar workers out of Seattle, that will really hurt. Remember that Washington has no income tax, but works on property and sales taxes (for the most part). If the housing market softens because of people moving out, and the turnover drops by ten thousand households, Seattle's city government will find themselves even worse off, financially, than their current greedy grasping for every big ticket project has already left them.

    They might even have a sudden attack of common sense.

    Nah, who'm I kidding? Boeing's had one foot out the door for ages, and the state's still whistling past the graveyard.

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Monday November 05 2018, @04:39AM (1 child)

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Monday November 05 2018, @04:39AM (#757852) Journal

      Kind of like the TV + film industries moving production into Georgia. Cities tripped over themselves to become the site of Amazon HQ2, but before that, they were doing the same thing for Google Fiber.

      It's like a small scale version of globalization. Bite the hand that feeds you, and that hand will pick up and leave. And there's no shortage of beggars looking for a helping hand.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 05 2018, @05:18AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 05 2018, @05:18AM (#757856)

        Oh, it gets better than that. Much better. The city of Seattle is doing all it can to raise taxes, even some heavily regressive taxes, and even in very deceptive ways. You heard about the car tab fee? They were prorating that, not by the blue book value of the car, nor the actual sale price, but by the MSRP. Who the hell pays MSRP? Granted, that wasn't just Seattle, but the greater Seattle/Puget Sound region. However, Seattle was the major driver because it all goes into Seattle's anti-car/pro-public transport agenda. Even if you think they're dead right to do so, it's a shitty way of doing things. It disproportionately hit people who had bought old, second-hand cars because they were goddamn broke. I guess their economists took a break that week or something.

        Then on top of that, Seattle is the graveyard of terrible transit. Monorail? Huge, ugly, damn near useless. Streetcars? Mostly go nowhere anybody cares about. Light rail gets a little traction, and so do commuter trains, but that's about it. Buses are busy during commutes and practically abandoned at other times, while the service is abysmal and slow. Nobody wants to stand at a bus stop for fifteen minutes in western Washington's winter. Even if it isn't iced over (which makes the steep hills basically impassable), the near-freezing drizzle makes it no feast for the senses.

        But enough about their shitty infrastructure plans (is the tunnel open yet ... didn't think so), how about their social attitude for, say, employment? OK, great, the extra sick time thing is awesome. Kind of. It raises the costs of employment, but employers all look like the Monopoly millionaire dude, right? Then there was that recent set of studies that concluded that locally-owned businesses that employ people near minimum wage were sweating or leaving the area, but externally-owned ones large enough to expand into Seattle were hiring, because they have the slack to step into a void. I thought left wingers like Kshama were supposed to hate big business, not favour it? Oh, well. Then of course they discover to their shock and horror that homeless people are actively seeking out Seattle as an attractive destination because of the ways that they're supported. Result: the homeless population is a permanent problem.

        But we're all about effective public policy, right guys?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 05 2018, @05:03AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 05 2018, @05:03AM (#757854)

    I'm betting this is misdirection.

    I look at the candidate cities and look for the office space, parking , infrastructure and homes to meet the published numbers. Also COL

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