[ad_1]
Amazon.com
Inc.
AMZN -0.38%
Leaders recently visited several of the 20 finalists for its $ 5 billion second – seat project, sparking a new anticipation of the approach of a decision in a process that has been going on for more than a year. a year.
Visits in the past two months include New York, Newark, New Jersey and Chicago, according to people close to the issue. In addition, Amazon has followed up with other places, including Miami and the Washington DC area, according to some people. Some cities, like Raleigh, NC, have not heard from the retail giant for months, according to people familiar with the subject.
The discussions, following a first round of visits earlier this year, added to the already intense speculation about the direction taken by the technology giant. Although Amazon seems to reduce its list of 20 finalists, it is still unclear which cities will be leading and what additional visits indicate exactly as to the odds of specific cities.
Nevertheless, the visits shed additional light on the process. Amazon, for example, seems to prefer an urban site, say people knowledgeable about the problem, which could be a problem for some sites in northern Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland. These two suburbs of Washington, DC, as well as the district itself. have long been speculated for being in the lead, in part because CEO Jeff Bezos has a home there and owns the Washington Post.
People close to the process are warning Amazon that negotiations are still underway with several cities and that they have not yet reached an agreement with a single site. They indicated that the company could negotiate almost final contracts with several of them before announcing its final selection, which could help to avoid prematurely signaling its choice.
Ideal site and construction conditions:
- Proximity to the population center: 30 miles
- Proximity to the international airport: approx. 45 min
- Proximity to main highways and major arteries: no more than 1 km
- Access to public transport: On the site (direct access to the railway, train, metro / metro, bus lines)
- Initial square foot requirement: 500,000 square feet and over (Phase 1 – 2019)
- Total requirement in square feet: up to 8,000,000 square feet (beyond 2027)
The burst of recent discussions is part of the final stretch of a contest launched last September when Seattle-based Amazon announced a public search for what she had dubbed HQ2. The company said it could hire up to 50,000 employees and invest more than $ 5 billion in the new location over nearly two decades.
After 238 cities and regions submitted elaborate proposals, Amazon announced 20 finalists in January. Mr Bezos said that Amazon would decide by the end of the year.
The HQ2 research laid the foundation for economic development in a way that, according to experts, could have a lasting impact on how companies invest in new sites – just as Amazon in its business has upset everything, in the way consumers buy their products and store them. The data.
The shortlist of 20 sites includes large, well-established cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, as well as small towns such as Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, which have recently experienced economic recovery. The stakes for these smaller cities to win the seat 2 are particularly high, promising a radical change by attracting more highly skilled workers, attracting other companies and raising real estate prices, according to economic development experts .
After more than a year, officials "all expect their phones," said Jeff Finkle, chairman of the International Economic Development Council, an organization representing economic development officials across the country.
Amazon takes into account dozens of parameters and factors, including the technological talent and educational resources available, the cost of living and public transportation.
After announcing its shortlist, Amazon conducted two two-day site visits to 20 cities and asked a series of complementary questions. They also asked for as much detailed data as the results of local high school tests, the Wall Street Journal reported.
While Amazon is looking for a seat for its new headquarters – dubbed HQ2 -, cities across the country are trying to woo the tech giant. At stake: 50,000 jobs and $ 5 billion in investments.
Publicly, the process has been calm during the summer. Amazon officials analyzed the data before the research managers decided to re-examine a few cities, depending on the population. Some cities that have not received a second visit are still in the running for the project. The Chicago Tribune previously reported that Amazon had gone to Chicago for the second time.
In recent visits, Amazon officials have spent much of their time exploring nearby neighborhoods or proposed sites for QG2, these people said. Leaders seem to be more interested in an urban site that is already part of the fabric of the city and less interested in its own campus outside the city center, said the population. One of the reasons would be shorter trips. It could also help recruit employees, which has been true with its downtown Seattle campus, which is dotted with residential buildings and trendy restaurants.
In New York, one of the neighborhoods explored by Amazon is in Long Island City, Queens, according to one of the people. The residential neighborhood is perched on the East River overlooking Manhattan and is mired by tall buildings and young professionals.
Gene DePrez, managing partner of Global Innovation Partners Limited, a consulting firm that conducts research at corporate sites, said companies typically keep their searches secret until the last possible moment. Most companies do not want to warn competitors of a strategic move or get speculators to raise real estate prices.
Amazon has managed a public process in QG2: "We are trying against everything we have tried to do to make sure everyone is not excited or upset," he said.
Valerie Bauerlein contributed to this article.
Write to Laura Stevens at [email protected], Shayndi Raice at [email protected] and Keiko Morris at [email protected]
Source link
