Amazon $5 bil co-HQ's in play

[CityLife]

I really, really hope some of the quotes in the article are just PR people trying to keep things mum before the submittal. If not, I have a feeling we are looking at a subpar proposal. I'll keep my mouth closed for now.

[Jim]

New Jersey is offering $7 billion in tax incentives.


I am curious if Amazon will take a location that is not the highest bidder.

[JaGoaT]

I don't think they'll choose the offer with the most incentives

[thelakelander]

They might not select the one with the largest offer but the place they'll pick will have to bring billions to the table.

[jaxlongtimer]

Interesting Fortune article actually mentions Jacksonville, but only in context of our difficulty competing with metro's over 4 million people.  Still liking Philly as it could suck in talent and more from surrounding NYC and Baltimore/Washington DC without too much trouble (they are all within commuting limits, albeit a stretch for some, on Amtrak) giving Amazon the best of all worlds.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-hq2-likely-one-six-222812757.html

While proposals have come from all over the map, it is unlikely that any metro area with fewer than 4 million people will make the grade, according to Everest Group, a Dallas-based consulting and research firm.

Only cities of that size are likely to have the both the basic infrastructure and base of skilled employees to supply Amazon's needs. has said the new location could eventually employ 50,000 skilled people with average annual salaries of more than $100,000. These are not blue-collar jobs, and filling skilled jobs in these numbers is not easy, Eric Simonson, managing partner of Everest's research group, told Fortune.

Given that, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, and Washington D.C. will likely be Amazon's top candidates, according to Everest.

....It would be difficult for cities like Pittsburgh, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, Charlotte, Cincinnati, or Denver to scale up to 50,000 skilled workers over the next decade, according to Everest.

[ProjectMaximus]

Yesterday the Nashville mayor announced a proposal for a $5.2B mass transit plan that will include 5 light rail lines, BRT and even a new tunnel in downtown. Speculation that this is to supplement their HQ2 bid.

Good coverage of Jax's bid effort.  Full article at:

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/jacksonville-making-a-pitch-for-amazons-new-headquarters-how-will-it-stack-up

The bid is due Thursday, but Curry's office is not saying what's in it, such as the proposed sites or taxpayer incentives that would be offered.

A mayor's office spokeswoman also declined to say which entities were assisting in crafting the bid or when the city will officially submit its package to Amazon.

However, JAX Chamber, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville Aviation Authority and city utility JEA say they are involved.

Curry said in a statement Oct. 6 he believed "Jacksonville has all the attributes that make for a great place to do business — including a strong labor force, a low cost of doing business and a great quality of life."

Curry did not specify if he would include the labor force extending into other North Florida counties.

Nice. Article also from the TU but not really any new info other than they say the bid has already been submitted.

http://jacksonville.com/metro/business/2017-10-18/jacksonville-submits-formal-bid-land-second-amazon-headquarters

[MusicMan]

Well, Personally, I am glad the Mayor acted on my suggestion, by e-mail and phone call, the day this RFP was announced, to go for it.

All Hail Music Man.

Would it be great if we made a short list ? Yes.

If we were actually chosen? I'm not sure if great is the right word but it would definitely change Jacksonville forever, and I believe mostly for the good.

[thelakelander]

I wonder how many cities or metros teamed up? It would seem that nearby metros like Tampa and Orlando would be better off combining their efforts, incentives and numbers.

[CityLife]

New Jersey is offering $7 billion in tax incentives.


I am curious if Amazon will take a location that is not the highest bidder.

There's a decent chance the highest bidder will win, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is solely because of the incentives. Newark, Baltimore, and some of the other cities that are putting together major incentive packages already tick a lot of the boxes that Amazon is looking for.

[thelakelander]

There's a good article on Time, highlighting the hidden public costs on landing Amazon.

[jaxlongtimer]

New Jersey is offering $7 billion in tax incentives.

If Amazon took NJ's offer, they could possibly have their cake and eat it too:  Maximum incentives and either NYC (via Newark/Jersey City/etc.) or Philly (via Camden/Cherry Hill/etc.) as their sandbox since NJ has both of their 'burbs covered - just a bridge over a river .

[ProjectMaximus]

New Jersey is offering $7 billion in tax incentives.

If Amazon took NJ's offer, they could possibly have their cake and eat it too:  Maximum incentives and either NYC (via Newark/Jersey City/etc.) or Philly (via Camden/Cherry Hill/etc.) as their sandbox since NJ has both of their 'burbs covered - just a bridge over a river .

Just to be clear, the $7B from NJ is specifically for Newark. I believe the general state portion was $5B. And yes, this offer on the surface looks very strong.

[ProjectMaximus]

I wonder how many cities or metros teamed up? It would seem that nearby metros like Tampa and Orlando would be better off combining their efforts, incentives and numbers.

Buffalo+Rochester have submitted together.

http://innovationtrail.org/post/rochester-and-buffalo-submit-joint-amazon-bid

I don't think it's finalized but Detroit and Windsor were working together.

And many small cities that are part of the same metro are doing the same, since that is what Amazon requested (but is mostly being ignored)

[icarus]

New Jersey is offering $7 billion in tax incentives.

If Amazon took NJ's offer, they could possibly have their cake and eat it too:  Maximum incentives and either NYC (via Newark/Jersey City/etc.) or Philly (via Camden/Cherry Hill/etc.) as their sandbox since NJ has both of their 'burbs covered - just a bridge over a river .

Just to be clear, the $7B from NJ is specifically for Newark. I believe the general state portion was $5B. And yes, this offer on the surface looks very strong.

"You know what everyone in NJ has in common. ..... They want out of NJ."  There is a reason they would have to attach $7B to their offer.

[BenderRodriguez]

https://www-bizjournals-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2017/09/11/amazon-picks-atlanta-for-new-logistics-hub-locates.amp.html

^This is what JAX should've tried to make happen. Not a pie-in-the-sky $5billion tax break long-shot. It's the many medium to small build-ups over time that grow cities evenly and attract the big dogs. No outrageous public competition needed. Also, with the fact that the city has, almost, direct access to a submarine data cable servicing multiple countries further pushes the notion that we should be trying to shoot for parts of the beast such as AWS and not necessarily the whole enchilada.

Amazon literally just added 3000+ jobs to the local economy. Thats more than good enough for a starting point to grow those employment numbers over a given time with an entity as large and diversified as Amazon.