Amazon Chooses New York City and Northern Virginia for Additional Headquarters

[brooklynite]

Source: Wall Street Journal

New York City and Northern Virginia will be the homes for Amazon.com Inc.’s AMZN -4.41% second and third headquarters, according to people familiar with the matter, ending a more than yearlong public contest that started with 238 candidates and ended with a surprise split of its so-called HQ2.

The imminent announcement is expected as soon as Tuesday, according to the people. Other cities may also receive major sites, some of the people said.

Amazon is dividing the second headquarters evenly between New York’s Long Island City and Arlington County’s Crystal City neighborhoods, which are both located directly across from the major city centers. The decision effectively gives Amazon a major presence in three coastal cities.

Amazon declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-chooses-new-york-city-and-northern-virginia-for-additional-headquarters-1542075336?mod=e2tw

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I have to admit that I am relieved that Raleigh was not chosen

having heard about (and witnessed on occasion) the impact in Seattle from our daughter, we were not looking forward to the traffic and price increases (this place is growing fast enough).

[brooklynite]

3. I suspect NYC won't even notice...

[Squinch]

5. Long Island City will.

[NastyRiffraff]

7. Crystal City certainly will.

I'm trying to picture where the hell they'll build. Crystal City is crowded and overbuilt as it is.

[tammywammy]

8. There's a lot of empty office space.

They'll probably utilize existing buildings.

[turbinetree]

26. There is a empty lot in front of my wife's sisters apartment complex

and the indications are they will build there................now her rent is going to go up at least $1,000.00 per month, since it is a high rent district and close to the Pentagon, and other major corporations in the area..............

[DeminPennswoods]

17. The Crystal Underground will be bopping

with even more commuters now.

[itcfish]

23. Long Island City

will be a nightmare, and cost for housing will skyrocket. Don't know how good this is.

[fountainofyouth]

2. Crap

As if rent isn't bad enough in DC.

[appalachiablue]

4. You took the print right off my computer. Sky higher rents/mortages

and even more traffic congestion and pollution if that's possible. NoVa has become so difficult in certain ways.

After all the tease, citizens and students who wrote pleas to come to their city, and Amazon selects two already affluent cities, both on the same coast.

Why not Baltimore, Dayton, Cleveland, Camden, NJ, Cincinnati, Toledo, KY, TN, places that really need those jobs.

[Johnyawl]

6. Obviously Bezos was not looking for cheaper real estate

Amazon was not going to move someplace they couldn't attract talent to. And those jobs in the corporate HQs will pay very well, if Seattle is any indication.

I recently retired from a Waterproofing & Weatherproofing consulting firm. We've done a lot of work for Amazon during this huge building boom in Seattle. It brings a lot of high paying union trade jobs while they build.

[appalachiablue]

12. They could have limited the contest with much narrower perameters

from the start, rather than let so many cities compete. At least it's finally over.

I know Seattle for a while, back to pre- tech boom days when I first visited in 1979. Friends lived in Sea, then moved to Redmond at the height. Great city, and much has changed. I'm sure Amazon brought in a lot of work and good, steady jobs over the last 15 years.
---------
Jan. 2018. SEATTLE — Amazon named 20 finalists in the race to win its second headquarters Thursday, narrowing the pool of cities and states competing to secure an expected 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in investment.

They are: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Montgomery County, Md., Nashville, Newark, New York City, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, N.C., Toronto and Washington, D.C.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2018/01/18/amazon-names-top-20-finalists-second-headquarters-race/1040710001/

[LisaM]

25. Amazon has ruined Seattle.

Housing prices are absolutely unreal. Middle class people are being displaced. Poor people are basically out on the street. Why any city would offer a rich company like that tax breaks is beyond me. Our infrastructure is strained beyond belief. And the relentless construction is really wearing. I've lived and/or worked in a construction zone for probably eight years. Places I like are getting knocked down. My local bus routes are getting slashed in favor of a light rail that has the most senseless route you've ever seen and is pretty much a blue print for where tech workers live and work. Forget about the rest of us. We're meaningless. Long Island City is doomed.

[itcfish]

24. And Unaffordable

Housing for the residents of the area.

[JudyM]

10. Traffic is already horrible on 66. Cant imagine it worse without being an actual parking lot. UGH.

Amazon should pay to put in a couple extra lanes.

I’m just going to have to move.

[appalachiablue]

11. I know & 66 has been called a pkg. lot for a while. Friends bought

a nice place in Gainesville 10 yrs. ago. b/c one works around there, the other sets their own hours to commute on 66.

Amazon should put in more 66 lanes.

Any decent houses (old, remodeled mid-century style) around N. Arl., FC, or close in Fx., are now $1 Mill+. They were 500K 6-8 yrs. ago. It's unbelievable.

[nitpicker]

14. It's really more like 700K

To get to $1 million in this area of Arlington VA, a single-family house needs extras such as a 4th bedroom or more, a garage, a fireplace, a big lot and/or a decent view (versus overlooking the sewage plant).

I'm not counting the tear-down-and-rebuilds dotting the neighborhood.

[msongs]

9. amazon customers will pay for it there are no financial constraints nt

[Yavin4]

13. Why didn't Amazon choose Brownback's conservative Utopia KS?

Instead of big Liberal tax and spend NYC?

[nitpicker]

15. Who would want to move to KS

And live in Tornado Alley?

It has been noted that there are big talent pools in NYC and the DC area.

Someone else said that Jeff Bezos has homes in NY and the DC area.

[onetexan]

16. i don't blame him. Bezos wants to be amidst the bastion of liberals

which is not a bad thing at all. I was really hoping he'd choose Austin, TX. I did tell the hubby if Amazon was moving to Austin that i'd be interested in working there .

[TexasBushwhacker]

29. And Texas doesn't have state income tax

Real estate is affordable compared to many places. $300K will buy you a nice HOUSE in Austin, not a condo.

[gldstwmn]

30. The property taxes are prohibitive. n/t

[TexasBushwhacker]

31. It depends on what you consider prohibitive

My brother lives in a 2600 SF home built in the 80s that appraises at $215K. His property taxes are $1888 a year.

I have friends who built a stunning new home in a trendy part of Houston in 1994. I believe it cost about $250K at the time. It has now tripled in value. Yes, their property taxes are $14K a year, but it's almost paid off, if it isn't already. They're in their early 60s and their youngest is a junior in college. At 2700 SF, it's really more house than they need, but once it's paid off, $14K a year is cheaper than renting a 2 BR apartment. Of course they can sell it, pay cash for a nice smaller house for $300K and put $400K in the bank.

I'm not saying the situation is perfect in Texas. As a former school teacher, I wish we were funding our grade schools and universities better, even if it meant an income tax. But it's hard for property taxes to be prohibitive if the actual value of real estate is lower. Middle class families can still buy homes in Texas.

[onetexan]

32. that depends on the area you buy

if closer to downtown condo prices can go up as high as half million. In the more affluent areas around Austin homes can range anywhere from 300k-multi-million.

That said, im sure the local government would have given Amazon a hefty tax discount to attract the business. We didn't luck out apparently.

[TexasBushwhacker]

33. Of course, you can always spend more

But a family with a household income of $150K can still by a decent 3 BR, 2 bath house in Austin. I'm not sure the same can be said for NYC or Arlington, VA. Land is still relatively cheap in Texas cities compared to the east and west coast.

[onetexan]

34. agree, affordable housing and comparatively low cost of living are 2 of the best advantages of

living in Tx. Austin though, takes the cake as far as jobs and way of life, and a great place to retire in as well - great colleges, a foody's town, big arts scene, lots of outdoors activities, beautiful hill country, lots of vineyards nearby...

That said, the urban creep is ever expanding. The areas south, west and NW of Austin previously rural has been booming with new and expensive homes last few years. I hope the city's government is keeping the creep in check and preserve the hill country's beauty.

[DeminPennswoods]

18. Glad they didn't pick the PA contenders

The subsidies that I'm sure were being offered can be used better elsewhere. Because, let's be honest, the new hq site selection was all about who would give Amazon the most freebies and tax breaks.

[FakeNoose]

20. We've got the room in Pittsburgh but it could be put to better use

Our tech center explosion has been happening for over 10 years now, and it's here to stay. We're being recognized as Silicon Valley East because of all the new high-tech companies that have relocated here. It's a great opportunity for graduates of Carnegie Mellon U. and Pitt to find local jobs and stay in the area.

Also our hospitals and medical centers have become a magnet and source of new high-paying jobs. The steel mills are gone and it was bad here for awhile. But housing costs are relatively low in Pittsburgh (compared to everywhere east of us) and we have a great quality of life here.

We didn't need Amazon, and most of us are happy they didn't choose us. But yeah I agree that it was a shitty way to get 20 cities to blow them while they ended up going where they wanted to go in the first place.

[DeminPennswoods]

21. There's plenty of room in the counties

surrounding Allegheny, too, but millions of dollars in giveaways and tax breaks can do so much more good than make Jeff Bezos richer.

[FakeNoose]

22. Yep! totally agreed

[brooklynite]

19. UPDATE: Amazon officially picks New York, Northern Virginia for new offices

Amazon on Tuesday confirmed what had been rumored and leaked to press in recent months by announcing it would split its "second headquarters" between New York City and Arlington, Va.

The announcement comes after dozens of cities tried to woo the internet giant for more than a year with promises of tax breaks and other gifts.

“These two locations will allow us to attract world-class talent that will help us to continue inventing for customers for years to come," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement. "The team did a great job selecting these sites, and we look forward to becoming an even bigger part of these communities.”

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/416397-amazon-officially-picks-new-york-northern-virginia-for-new-offices

[mucifer]

27. Glad they didn't choose Chicago. We are already deep in debt from the pensions

We don't need tons of corporate welfare on top of that.

[Cryptoad]

28. NY going to contribute 1.8 Billion tax payer money,,,,

of course that will be 1.8 Billion less State revenue money for education, roads, bridges, et al

havent heard what VA and Tn are going to "anny-up"

This is what they are replacing our Democracy with,,,,,,

They don't call it Corporate Socialism for nuttin!