Amazon New HQ (50k jobs), MA? (Boston, Worcester: income tax, airports, move)

[jayrandom]

I'm still not sure that Amazon would be good for Boston, but I do think having all those jobs come at once rather than slowly over a decade might force the area to approach housing in a less haphazard way. Or it might not.

I still think Amazon is going to go to the viable city that gives them biggest incentives. To the point that the only real winner will be Amazon.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

I'm still not sure that Amazon would be good for Boston, but I do think having all those jobs come at once rather than slowly over a decade might force the area to approach housing in a less haphazard way. Or it might not.

I still think Amazon is going to go to the viable city that gives them biggest incentives. To the point that the only real winner will be Amazon.

I think they knew where they wanted to be for a long time, they are just waiting to see if some places that are kinda close in some ways might do a few tricks for them.

[Alewife]

Have Jeff and Amazon ever heard of the Boston Redevelopment Authority? Would Amazon's plans involve "floors," or "square footage," or "this century"?

[Alewife]

Can you imagine Amazon trying to get approval, in Boston, for a 2nd Phase after the first building is (eventually) up?

"Why does it have to be so bi-i-g?" "I can see it from [location]!" "But it looks sort of like the first one. N-o-o." "It doesn't have bricks. Where are the bricks?" "It's too tall."

Can you imagine execs bracing themselves for regular 6 hour transcontinental flights to Seattle from an airport with connections to nowhere?

That's a lot of triple deckers. Where do the locals live?

[sawyer2]

Here is Boston's proposal

https://www.scribd.com/document/3620...n-HQ2-Proposal

[robr2]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

I'm still not sure that Amazon would be good for Boston, but I do think having all those jobs come at once rather than slowly over a decade might force the area to approach housing in a less haphazard way. Or it might not.

I still think Amazon is going to go to the viable city that gives them biggest incentives. To the point that the only real winner will be Amazon.

That's is Amazon's plan. They said in the RFP that over 10 years, they would be hiring 50,000 employees for HQ2.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Alewife

Can you imagine Amazon trying to get approval, in Boston, for a 2nd Phase after the first building is (eventually) up?

"Why does it have to be so bi-i-g?" "I can see it from [location]!" "But it looks sort of like the first one. N-o-o." "It doesn't have bricks. Where are the bricks?" "It's too tall."

Can you imagine execs bracing themselves for regular 6 hour transcontinental flights to Seattle from an airport with connections to nowhere?

That's a lot of triple deckers. Where do the locals live?

I believe what will happen is that with Suffolk Downs as the preferred site, you won't have many of those issues. It's already been proposed to do mixed use there like Assembly Row and they aren't facing any push back. There aren't any "architectural" standards they will have to meet in that area. It will have to be low rise due to the airport but that was the plan for the mixed use.

Building it there will start a gentrification wave in Revere, Lynn, Winthrop and there will be issues with affordability for current residents. Pretty soon, a condo on Revere Beach Blvd. could be pushing 7 figures.

[Broknrekord3]

Huffington Post just highlighted Union Point in Weymouth as a prospective candidate for Amazon.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b0a52aca16a5b4

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by robr2

IPretty soon, a condo on Revere Beach Blvd. could be pushing 7 figures.

I was kinda shocked to see Suffolk downs as the proposed site. That area has been on the decline for a while. I joked that before the executive tour of the site, they will need to run a cleaning crew through to get rid of the needles on the ground.


But you are right. If they build the HQ, there will be supporting businesses that will move in to any tech area to cater to what well-paid persons want. Gyms, cafe's, nice places to eat. None of that exists right now, but it will, and the area will gentrify, and rents will climb, and the affordable blue-collar neighborhoods of Revere, East Boston, Everett will be no more.


I'll cry if I look up my old condo on Revere Beach and see it's estimated at 7 figures if that even happens

[robr2]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I was kinda shocked to see Suffolk downs as the proposed site. That area has been on the decline for a while. I joked that before the executive tour of the site, they will need to run a cleaning crew through to get rid of the needles on the ground.

But you are right. If they build the HQ, there will be supporting businesses that will move in to any tech area to cater to what well-paid persons want. Gyms, cafe's, nice places to eat. None of that exists right now, but it will, and the area will gentrify, and rents will climb, and the affordable blue-collar neighborhoods of Revere, East Boston, Everett will be no more.

I'll cry if I look up my old condo on Revere Beach and see it's estimated at 7 figures if that even happens

Well there is a house for sale on Revere Beach Blvd. and it's $1.2. It's an area ripe for gentrification even without Amazon. The developer is ready to go with their original plan if it doesn't happen.