Is Columbus the best city in the Midwest? (Cleveland, Cincinnati: light rail, suburbs)

[nadnerb]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

There's no way to ever know that. There weren't any other sites offered to them that met the specific requirements.

Regardless, you all are trying to make it solely about land conditions, but there were other specifics they wanted that other parts of the state also couldn't match, like having a talent pipeline. Columbus wasn't just what Intel had to choose from because there weren't other sites in Ohio. It was also competing against dozens of sites in dozens of other states. If it had only come down to land availability/conditions, I am not sure we would've landed it.

Yeah exactly. The land conditions were an early requirement and once Intel had narrowed their search down to 35-40 potential sites, they likely used several other criteria to further narrow down and to make their final selection. In the context of central Ohio getting picked over 35 other sites, proximity to rail (or lack thereof, rather) is irrelevant since all the other sites fulfilled that too.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by nadnerb

Did you read the rest of the article you provided? The site had to meet the rail requirement among several other criteria in order to even qualify as a candidate. There were 35-40 other sites in the US that met this criteria so no, central Ohio was not "uniquely qualified" due to lack of rail activity as you say.

That can easily be inferred from the article.

Many other places qualified, but if you want a mix of high population and little infrastructure, who could top Columbus?

[SlideRules99]

Originally Posted by nadnerb

Yeah exactly. The land conditions were an early requirement and once Intel had narrowed their search down to 35-40 potential sites, they likely used several other criteria to further narrow down and to make their final selection. In the context of central Ohio getting picked over 35 other sites, proximity to rail (or lack thereof, rather) is irrelevant since all the other sites fulfilled that too.

Not sure if this has been posted…more info on Intel’s choice.

<“Although another location offered bigger incentives, Intel chose Ohio because it seemed like the best fit, he said; the company did not want to displace any residents, an increasingly important factor for companies since pushback against a proposed Amazon headquarters in New York City killed the deal. Ohio also seemed willing to move quickly to approve permits and plans, Esfarjani said.

“We want to make sure that where we go, the community is going to be happy,” Esfarjani said. “There were states where we were going to go, where we got a sense that people were not going to be happy, so we ruled them out,” he said, though he would not specify which states. Places where potential problems around protected species or land ownership might cause problems were taken off the list.

Intel was also drawn to Ohio because of the availability of talent to draw on from local colleges and universities. “ >

https://time.com/6140476/intel-building-factory-ohio/

In other articles, Intel cites “patriotism and hard workers” in OH as an appealing factor. They also pointed out how welcome OH leaders made them feel, while other (unnamed) states instead focused on negotiating demands and establishing limiters.

Gelsinger (Intel CEO) is a very religious, family focused, philanthropic man. He is also a Pennsylvania farm boy.

I believe it is a good values match and that likely helped OH’s cause. (Imagine some other states doing a prayer invocation at the state house breakfast with Intel…)

In some western locations, Intel is treated with indifference or (in some cases) backlash and borderline hostility. I’m sure they are happy to now do a major project with an eager, welcoming state. Clean slate.

New Albany checked all the boxes. Some of this is by luck (acreage/geography), some of it is by virtue of its nearby planned assets (e.g. OSU).

What’s become clear to me, though, is the state itself was ripe for this, and really pulled hard to land the historic deal. Thankfully there was a prime in-state site that fit the bill.

You’ll notice Intel will nearly always refer to the state or local site city, not the metro city, in how they name and characterize sites. This is no accident. They will be establishing a site identity separate from the anchor metropolis, while still driving synergy and partnership. (Look at Chandler/Ocotillo, Hillsboro, Rio Rancho, Folsom as good examples).

But…They’re smart. They’ll cheerlead the Columbus area in order to draw in talent.

Congrats to Columbus. Some luck, some skill, but no matter, a huge win. I’m happy to reside in a state that will soon be known globally as a premier tech hub.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by SlideRules99

Not sure if this has been posted…more info on Intel’s choice.

<“Although another location offered bigger incentives, Intel chose Ohio because it seemed like the best fit, he said; the company did not want to displace any residents, an increasingly important factor for companies since pushback against a proposed Amazon headquarters in New York City killed the deal. Ohio also seemed willing to move quickly to approve permits and plans, Esfarjani said.

“We want to make sure that where we go, the community is going to be happy,” Esfarjani said. “There were states where we were going to go, where we got a sense that people were not going to be happy, so we ruled them out,” he said, though he would not specify which states. Places where potential problems around protected species or land ownership might cause problems were taken off the list.

Intel was also drawn to Ohio because of the availability of talent to draw on from local colleges and universities. “ >

https://time.com/6140476/intel-building-factory-ohio/

In other articles, Intel cites “patriotism and hard workers” in OH as an appealing factor. They also pointed out how welcome OH leaders made them feel, while other (unnamed) states instead focused on negotiating demands and establishing limiters.

Gelsinger (Intel CEO) is a very religious, family focused, philanthropic man. He is also a Pennsylvania farm boy.

I believe it is a good values match and that likely helped OH’s cause. (Imagine some other states doing a prayer invocation at the state house breakfast with Intel…)

In some western locations, Intel is treated with indifference or (in some cases) backlash and borderline hostility. I’m sure they are happy to now do a major project with an eager, welcoming state. Clean slate.

New Albany checked all the boxes. Some of this is by luck (acreage/geography), some of it is by virtue of its nearby planned assets (e.g. OSU).

What’s become clear to me, though, is the state itself was ripe for this, and really pulled hard to land the historic deal. Thankfully there was a prime in-state site that fit the bill.

You’ll notice Intel will nearly always refer to the state or local site city, not the metro city, in how they name and characterize sites. This is no accident. They will be establishing a site identity separate from the anchor metropolis, while still driving synergy and partnership. (Look at Chandler/Ocotillo, Hillsboro, Rio Rancho, Folsom as good examples).

But…They’re smart. They’ll cheerlead the Columbus area in order to draw in talent.

Congrats to Columbus. Some luck, some skill, but no matter, a huge win. I’m happy to reside in a state that will soon be known globally as a premier tech hub.

In other words.....


This is an Ohio story, not a Columbus story.


It sure is amusing seeing posts implying that Intel was just swept off its feet by Columbus though, so carry on lol.

[nadnerb]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

That can easily be inferred from the article.

Many other places qualified, but if you want a mix of high population and little infrastructure, who could top Columbus?

Well, considering a city 3 hours east is currently in the national spotlight for a bridge collapse, I can certainly think of places that could top Columbus in regards to lack of infrastructure.

In fact, the article you linked had said that the site had met all their infrastructure needs.

[SlideRules99]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

In other words.....


This is an Ohio story, not a Columbus story.


It sure is amusing seeing posts implying that Intel was just swept off its feet by Columbus though, so carry on lol.

Yes, it’s an Ohio story. Columbus hit the lottery though.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by nadnerb

Well, considering a city 3 hours east is currently in the national spotlight for a bridge collapse, I can certainly think of places that could top Columbus in regards to lack of infrastructure.

In fact, the article you linked had said that the site had met all their infrastructure needs.

Well, Pittsburgh wouldn't qualify.

They messed up and built a light rail system in the 1980's and still have an operational Amtrak station.

They didn't have the foresight of Columbus to just do nothing (and then bumble the "Smart City" money to continue to have nothing).

[nadnerb]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

Well, Pittsburgh wouldn't qualify.

They messed up and built a light rail system in the 1980's and still have an operational Amtrak station.

They didn't have the foresight of Columbus to just do nothing (and then bumble the "Smart City" money to continue to have nothing).

In fairness, the lack of foresight goes both ways. Had Columbus followed Pittsburgh's lead, maybe it could have a bunch of structurally deficient bridges and become a shining example of top notch infrastructure as Pittsburgh has done today.

As we all know, functional bridges in a city shaped by river valleys and ravines is far less important than a train that gets less annual ridership than that of sprawly sun belt cities.

[SlideRules99]

With regards to Intel…

I’m happy for both the state and the Columbus metro area.

You probably saw the additional disclosures of the deal this a.m.

Ohio taxpayers dumped $2B on Intel’s doorstep to lure them into the state.

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wire...ckage-82541504

Much of the Columbus chest-thumping here is misguided IMO. Your metro area had a fortuitous site (cornfield near airport…who knew?), and the state took it from there. OSU was an asset, to be sure.

I’ve read probably 20 articles on this deal, and the Intel execs emphasize Ohio first, New Albany second. They do find your city useful, but their focus is on establishing their own massive footprint and identity 20 miles outside the city.

Study Hillsboro, OR; Chandler, AZ; Folsom, CA; and Rio Rancho, NM for similarities.

I’m not trying to put you on the defensive here. Just calling it how I see it.

But seriously…congrats.

[nadnerb]

Originally Posted by SlideRules99

With regards to Intel…

I’m happy for both the state and the Columbus metro area.

You probably saw the additional disclosures of the deal this a.m.

Ohio taxpayers dumped $2B on Intel’s doorstep to lure them into the state.

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wire...ckage-82541504

Much of the Columbus chest-thumping here is misguided IMO. Your metro area had a fortuitous site (cornfield near airport…who knew?), and the state took it from there. OSU was an asset, to be sure.

I’ve read probably 20 articles on this deal, and the Intel execs emphasize Ohio first, New Albany second. They do find your city useful, but their focus is on establishing their own massive footprint and identity 20 miles outside the city.

Study Hillsboro, OR; Chandler, AZ; Folsom, CA; and Rio Rancho, NM for similarities.

I’m not trying to put you on the defensive here. Just calling it how I see it.

But seriously…congrats.

Don't get me wrong, the state of Ohio gets massive credit for this.

But one thing the articles aren't saying is that these Intel execs aren't dumb, they're not going to pick a place that will make their highly paid employees up and leave for another job in 6 months because they hate the location so much. Low employee retention has a massive impact on operating costs. Do I think the Columbus area would have gotten selected 25 years ago when it had significantly less going on? I definitely don't think it would have.