Amazon $5 bil co-HQ's in play

[ProjectMaximus]

Supposedly Amazon reached out to all the bidders to let them know why they weren't chosen. Will be interested to find out what the feedback was on Jax.

[TimmyB]

Supposedly Amazon reached out to all the bidders to let them know why they weren't chosen. Will be interested to find out what the feedback was on Jax.

============================================

Dear City of Jacksonville,

Really?

Sincerely,

Amazon

[I-10east]

I really think that they want the HQ2 on/near the Eastern seaboard as a counterpart to the Seattle HQ . IMO it's gonna be either of the DMV cities, Boston, New York, Miami, Atlanta, Newark or Philadelphia.

[jaxrox]

I noted that almost half the pictures from each finalist city in this NY Times article featured significant public parks and waterfront access.  The other cities listed have them as well.  Jax... not so much!  Until I see our urban planners providing for this, I can't take seriously our community's commitment to developing the urban core and expect that we will continue to languish in Downtown.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/technology/cities-amazon-headquarters.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-1&action=click&contentCollection=Technology&region=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article

**Whining*** but we DOO have parks& waterfront access heeeeere!

[jaxrox]

Supposedly Amazon reached out to all the bidders to let them know why they weren't chosen. Will be interested to find out what the feedback was on Jax.

Yes, and I hope that the letter is published in either the Jacksonville times-union or jax daily record

[FlaBoy]

Jax is the 40th largest MSA. That should provide some additional perspective. Subtract the bigger MSAs and see who's left on that list. Whatever Nashville, Indy, Columbus, Raleigh, etc. are doing is what smaller MSAs like Jax should be paying attention to.

Nashville, Austin, Columbus, and Raleigh have large research universities (or 3 within 30-45 min in Raleigh's case) which creates an environment of innovation and business creation. This is part of the reason I have been advocating for years that we need pour everything we have into getting UF to establish more research aspects with the UF Health campus here. Really push for some investment, especially in the health care, pharmaceuticals or related sectors. We are the closest major metro to UF (who does more than $700 million in research) and only 70 miles away (to DT Jax) in our current road system, there is no reason it should take anything more than an hour to get from DT Jax to Gainesville in non-peak traffic times (and of course 45 minutes to the Westside of Jax). Get the innovation and research going here, and you could see companies interested with easy access to talent.

The other thing those cities all have in common: they are state capitals and regional business centers (except Austin, which was not traditionally a regional business center, although the rest are). Combine all of this, and you have large creative classes.

[jaxrox]

Indianapolis is a state capital. With quite a pharmaceutical industry that's often overlooked. Columbus (also a capital) has Ohio State going for it. Nashville, I have personal reasons to like... So I guess since there's no other Florida city in the running, and Detroit is out too, hmmm.. root for ? This could get quite sticky and interesting lol. Atlanta has some possibilities too, I think.. to possibly land this.. ha-ha,this is almost like having to pick a football team to root for, when nobody you like made it to Superbowl (lol, just kidding, lol maybe not lol, I don't fancy the atl falcons much and I detest the ne patriots lol but that's another thread I guess lol) 

[thelakelander]

South Florida is still in the running. That's the only Florida MSA.

[Snaketoz]

Supposedly Amazon reached out to all the bidders to let them know why they weren't chosen. Will be interested to find out what the feedback was on Jax.

============================================

Dear City of Jacksonville,

Really?

Sincerely,

Amazon

Now that is funny!

[RattlerGator]

The other thing those cities all have in common: they are state capitals and regional business centers (except Austin, which was not traditionally a regional business center, although the rest are). Combine all of this, and you have large creative classes.

Those cities don't point out what Jax should be trying to do, they point out how we differ and no amount of wishing will change the difference. We don't have a state capitol and we don't have big universities. Dress it up however you like, that is the bottom line. And . . . our "big" university has a suburban focus. So it goes.

I thought it was a damn good video presentation the city put together. Certainly there were bigtime stretches in there (an image of Westcott at FSU ? ? ? And mapping out the universities within 200 miles ? ? ? Useless.) but it might intrigue an unknown company interested in a much smaller downtown footprint.

Our best bet for public-private institutional growth is something growing out of the convergence of Mayo / M.D. Anderson / UF Health here.

[KenFSU]

Again, this is the company that cities are fighting to give the farm too.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/technology/amazon-wristband-tracking-privacy.html

[JaxAvondale]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-plans-to-split-hq2-evenly-between-two-cities-1541446552

[jax_hwy_engineer]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-plans-to-split-hq2-evenly-between-two-cities-1541446552

Paywalled. Can you spoil the article and state which cities, if any, are mentioned?

Thanks

[JaxAvondale]

Non paywall link

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/05/amazon-will-reportedly-create-two-new-headquarters-instead-of-one.html

[jax_hwy_engineer]

I realize now I could've searched that myself, but thank you regardless.