Amazon is looking for a second HQ. Why not, Pittsburgh? (Harrisburg: 2013, unemployed)

[prnlvsxy]

Originally Posted by gladhands

Even if I didn't have a vested interest, I'd clearly see that Pittsburgh was a great fit. There are a lot of suburbanites on this forum who resent Pittsburgh's resurgence and it's transformation into a tech hub.

What does that mean? I haven't seen anyone here that resents positive PGH stuff. Besides, suburbs like Cranberry, etc. are ultimately "Pittsburgh" anyway. Any benefits that occur because of this or anything else doesn't make a hard stop just because of some line drawn on a map.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Good points. I suppose we should also consider the potential unintended consequences of adding these jobs to Pittsburgh. Increased housing costs, certainly. But perhaps that would be really good for the declining suburbs and mill towns as people are forced to look outside of the city.

Yeah. I grew up on the East Coast, not far from an economically depressed city (Bridgeport, CT). It's interesting in retrospect, because even though a lot of the neighborhoods were (and still are) undesirable and high crime, there isn't much in the way of abandoned buildings or vacant lots, and there never has been. Property values were high enough even in bad neighborhoods that no one thought of just leaving homes vacant to rot, so even as local manufacturing jobs evaporated the city developed a new life as a residential hub for people working low-wage service sector jobs in the surrounding suburbs.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Good points. I suppose we should also consider the potential unintended consequences of adding these jobs to Pittsburgh. Increased housing costs, certainly. But perhaps that would be really good for the declining suburbs and mill towns as people are forced to look outside of the city.

let's not forget many would also look outside of city by default. there are more people than young urban childless professionals that would work at this company and they would seek out the best districts. there are those that do prefer the inclusion and diversity of pps though, but people looking outside of city schools isn't unique to pittsburgh.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by Paul2421

let's not forget many would also look outside of city by default. there are more people than young urban childless professionals that would work at this company and they would seek out the best districts. there are those that do prefer the inclusion and diversity of pps though, but people looking outside of city schools isn't unique to pittsburgh.

True. Those jobs could certainly lead to much of the worst kind of modern suburban sprawl, while the older communities continued to rot. It's hard to be optimistic.

[krogerDisco]

Seems to me cons:
Uber publicly complained it has a hard time attracting talent to Pittsburgh. Which is precisely what Amazon wants to do. And they want 50,000 talented persons.
Amazon wants direct flights to New York, DC, and Seattle. I think Seattle was a problem, but PA could subsidize that route.
Amazon is green and wants public transportation. Not something Pittsburgh excels at. Should of hung on to that trolley system.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

Seems to me cons:
Uber publicly complained it has a hard time attracting talent to Pittsburgh. Which is precisely what Amazon wants to do. And they want 50,000 talented persons.
Amazon wants direct flights to New York, DC, and Seattle. I think Seattle was a problem, but PA could subsidize that route.
Amazon is green and wants public transportation. Not something Pittsburgh excels at. Should of hung on to that trolley system.

how is a company whose core business model is on demand delivery of nonessential goods and services using unnecessary packaging waste "green" in any aspect of the word? the hypocrisy is unbelievable. they are trying to escaping the sprawl that they them self created and enabled through their services.

[krogerDisco]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Actually, I don't know or see any suburbanites here that resent a resurgence, and suburbanites that regularly visit the city like I do would love to see Amazon build here and help the city get better. It needs all the help it can get.

Sort of the reason Cranberry happened.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

Sort of the reason Cranberry happened.

Cranberry happened because farmers and their children opted to take the cash for their land rather than continuing to farm it. When Franklin Park, Wexford, etc..., became more populated and less land was available, many people looked 10-20 minutes North to an area with many amenities, not to mention many jobs they were looking for along with getting a whole lot more bang for their buck across the county line.

[JoeP]

Cranberry happened because farmers and their children opted to take the cash for their land rather than continuing to farm it. When Franklin Park, Wexford, etc..., became more populated and less land was available, many people looked 10-20 minutes North to an area with many amenities, not to mention many jobs they were looking for along with getting a whole lot more bang for their buck across the county line.

It grew because there was a lot of available land adjacent to both 79 and the Turnpike and that increased when 279 opened at the end of the 80s.

Being outside of Allegheny county might be a big consideration for some, but the area would like grow for the above reasons regardless.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by JoeP

It grew because there was a lot of available land adjacent to both 79 and the Turnpike and that increased when 279 opened at the end of the 80s.

Being outside of Allegheny county might be a big consideration for some, but the area would like grow for the above reasons regardless.

And that land became available because those that owned that land took the money rather than continuing to farm it.

The area would've grown whether it was in Allegheny County or not due to less land being available just north of it, however, not being in Allegheny County made/makes it even more appealing and a reason it continues to boom.