Amazon Looking for a new HQ - Detroit-Windsor Bid Rejected

DetroitNightLights · October-22-17, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

Did anybody tweet to Mr. Bezos about this?

I don't have a Twitter right now. Please do.

**Hypestyles** · October-22-17, 09:23 AM

will do.

**SammyS** · October-22-17, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

So the rumor mill is in full force already.

Apparently, the word going around is that Austin was pre-selected, but executives on the east coast raised concerns about the city [[I think everyone has a pretty good idea of what those concerns are). Thus, they decided to just turn the whole thing into The Hunger Games.

If any of this is true, that Bloomberg article from a couple weeks ago [[which said the executives want Boston but the employees want Austin) was correct.

COL? Natural disasters? RE cost? Proximity to the City center? That's all I can think of but enough to totally discount Austin completely.

Anyway, if that was indeed the case and the shortlist was ALWAYS condensed down to 2 cities, then shame on Amazon for making schmucks out of the other 100. But i think Detroit's effort will not be all in vain. Our best foot has been put forward and we have proven that a unified/concerted effort with a common goal to revitalize Detroit can be achieved. If anything, it has set the stage for all future endeavors to lure business back to The D.

**313WX** · October-22-17, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by SammyS

COL? Natural disasters? RE cost? Proximity to the City center? That's all I can think of but enough to totally discount Austin completely.

I'm thinking the concerns were related to politics [[it is still Texas, after all) and the fact that Austin is a fairly car-centric city [[it has some transit, but compared to the east coast cities, it's fairly mediocre).

**401don** · October-22-17, 11:52 AM

There has been discussion about how downtown Detroit's growth has been from companies moving from the burbs and how the Amazon presentation might help Detroit attract new corporations but I wonder how often companies actually up and leave their home state. We have seen states bidding for factories in the past. Do you think there will now be bidding for corporate Head Offices to lure them from other states? Does anyone know of any big corporate moves [[and not like Comerica Bank where most employees stayed put)?

**313WX** · October-22-17, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

There has been discussion about how downtown Detroit's growth has been from companies moving from the burbs and how the Amazon presentation might help Detroit attract new corporations but I wonder how often companies actually up and leave their home state. We have seen states bidding for factories in the past. Do you think there will now be bidding for corporate Head Offices to lure them from other states? Does anyone know of any big corporate moves [[and not like Comerica Bank where most employees stayed put)?

From Detroit?

Two that immediately come to mind are Pulte Homes [[Atlanta) and Kmart [[suburban Chicago).

**401don** · October-22-17, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

From Detroit?

Two that immediately come to mind are Pulte Homes [[Atlanta) and Kmart [[suburban Chicago).

Not from Detroit specifically but generally how often do HQ's up and leave their home state for elsewhere. Pulte is a good example of a company following population growth, which clearly affects homebuilding. Kmart was simply being combined with Sears. I tend to think it's rare for companies to change states, which is why Gilbert, along with most cities, understands the importance of growing your own through tech startups.

**313WX** · October-22-17, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Not from Detroit specifically but generally how often do HQ's up and leave their home state for elsewhere. Pulte is a good example of a company following population growth, which clearly affects homebuilding. Kmart was simply being combined with Sears. I tend to think it's rare for companies to change states, which is why Gilbert, along with most cities, understands the importance of growing your own through tech startups.

Ah, ok. Now I understand.

It is rare, mainly because it tends to be a logistical nightmare. It's one thing to move a HQ within the same metro area, but when you move it clear across the country, you tend to lose a lot of great talent because they're not willing to relocate [[for a number of reasons).

More often than not, the instances when it does happen is along the line of the example you provided with Comerica, where the HQ relocates on paper but most of the operations remain in the location of the former HQ [[Boeing is another example).

**Richard** · October-22-17, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

Did anybody tweet to Mr. Bezos about this?

I brought that up on here 4 month's back,not very receptive here,but they did not just wake up 30 days ago and decide on adding a second location this has been in planning for awhile.

It's more of the driver less car thing,drones can only carry so much.

**313WX** · October-22-17, 12:57 PM

At least none of Detroit's suburbs did anything as tacky as Frisco, TX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHztUQIyLAA

**313WX** · October-22-17, 01:12 PM

I really like Little Rock's video. It's to withdraw, but it's definitely the most creative of them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyiu...ature=youtu.be

**emu steve** · October-22-17, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I really like Little Rock's video. It's to withdrawl, but it's definitely the most creative of them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyiu...ature=youtu.be

They ran an advertisement in the WaPo either Thursday or Friday of the same vein, that they're withdrawing but that they're a good city nonetheless...

EDIT: Just heard the rest of the video: "Making lemonade out of lemons..." yep!!

**canuck** · October-22-17, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I really like Little Rock's proposal video. It's definitely the most creative of them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyiu...ature=youtu.be

Sure. I mean the nice looking lady is almost giving away the promise of a casting couch session. Very à propos these days.
Does that put Bezos between a little rock and a soft place?

**SammyS** · October-22-17, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I really like Little Rock's video. It's to withdraw, but it's definitely the most creative of them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyiu...ature=youtu.be

I don't see the creativity or even the tongue in cheek, if that was the intent. It's not even cute. I see it as either a desperate way to save face or a pathetic attempt to use reverse psychology. To use the "on second thoughts, no thanks" line in the very least admits a lack of thought and preparation.

If I was present at their next council meeting, I'd be asking this. Who's getting fired for all the wasteful resources spent on an bid that was never adequate or even possible in the first place?

**313WX** · October-22-17, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by SammyS

I don't see the creativity or even the tongue in cheek, if that was the intent. It's not even cute. I see it as either a desperate way to save face or a pathetic attempt to use reverse psychology. To use the "on second thoughts, no thanks" line in the very least admits a lack of thought and preparation.

If I was present at their next council meeting, I'd be asking this. Who's getting fired for all the wasteful resources spent on an bid that was never adequate or even possible in the first place?

Well, I suppose we're all entitled to our opinion and we will have to agree to disagree.

It certainly beats seeing the Alexa gag 100 times.

**SammyS** · October-22-17, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Well, I suppose we're all entitled to our opinion and we have to agree to disagree.

It certainly beats seeing the Alexa gag 100 times.

Agreed, and the extended pause at the end of the Frisco vid didn't help. Just enough time to turn a cringe into an embarrassment.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · October-22-17, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

That may be true now but wasn't as recently as two years ago. I'm not sure when you left New York, but if it was any time before June 2015 then your rights as a gay man were far more restricted in Michigan than they were in New York. The only reason same-sex marriage is now legal in Michigan is because the US Supreme Court determined these bans to be unconstitutional. New York legalized same-sex marriage four years before the Supreme Court ruling.

Not to mention that fact that these rights have been fought against tooth and nail by conservative politicians. And they are still fighting against them. One wonders how many politicians supported by our conservative gay friend have been working tirelessly to keep him in second class status.

**corktownyuppie** · October-22-17, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

At least none of Detroit's suburbs did anything as tacky as Frisco, TX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHztUQIyLAA

Wow. I mean, just, wow.

**emu steve** · October-23-17, 12:00 AM

With that youtube is Bloomberg's top 5 [[going north to south latitude):

1). Toronto,

2). Boston,

3). Washington,

4). Atlanta,

5). Dallas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91J_GdHqxos

EDIT: To go with my 'Final Four' thinking, I'd drop 'Dallas' as not a Bezos kind of city/state [[Texas).

DetroitNightLights · October-23-17, 03:53 AM

Do these news stations have a good track record of making predictions?

**313WX** · October-23-17, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by emu steve

EDIT: To go with my 'Final Four' thinking, I'd drop 'Dallas' as not a Bezos kind of city/state [[Texas).

Don't be so sure. Bezos is a Texas native [[he grew up there), after all.

**emu steve** · October-23-17, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Don't be so sure. Bezos is a Texas native [[he grew up there), after all.

Probably hates it.

That's why he left?????

As I'm sure you know, Texas has had Rick Perry and the current governor, Abbott.

I can not imagine anyone with progressive leaning wanting anything to do with those two govs...

I'll mess with Texas. Bezos says, "Thanks, but no thanks. Not my kind of state."

**401don** · October-23-17, 11:23 AM

With only 238 competitors I like our chances!

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...ers/106930414/

**313WX** · October-23-17, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by emu steve

Probably hates it.

That's why he left?????

As I'm sure you know, Texas has had Rick Perry and the current governor, Abbott.

I can not imagine anyone with progressive leaning wanting anything to do with those two govs...

I'll mess with Texas. Bezos says, "Thanks, but no thanks. Not my kind of state."

Dallas and Austin are fairly progressive [[islands of blue in a sea of red).

Amazon did also say they're looking for a place that's business-friendly. It doesn't get much more business-friendly than Texas.

**emu steve** · October-23-17, 11:59 AM

Don't know if this, article about a Freddie Mac study, belongs in this thread. At worst, it is tangibly related and at more relevance it could relate to making an affordable housing situation worse when Amazon comes to town [[whatever town that is):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.237bed5e592f

"Rather, he said,affordable housing without a government subsidy is becoming extinct. More renters flooded the market after people lost their homes in the housing crisis. The apartment vacancy rate was 8 percent in 2009, compared to 4 percent in 2017. That trend, coupled with a stagnant supply of apartments, resulted in increased rents."