Amazon Officials brief Baltimore on Failed HQ2 Bid (Frederick, White Oak: 2013, crime rate)

[choccity]

Amazon briefs Baltimore officials on failed HQ2 bid but doesn't give specific reasons for rejecting proposal, officials say - Baltimore Sun


I knew the lack of transit in Baltimore City would be at the top of the list. That Red Line kill is coming back to haunt.

[pappjohn]

Amazon is a very liberal company so they aren't going to admit that crime
was a factor in avoiding Baltimore. They lie and I suspect it was a factor.

[Tallybalt]

Originally Posted by choccity

Amazon briefs Baltimore officials on failed HQ2 bid but doesn't give specific reasons for rejecting proposal, officials say - Baltimore Sun


I knew the lack of transit in Baltimore City would be at the top of the list. That Red Line kill is coming back to haunt.

Possibly. But I doubt it made a difference. Had there been a fully operational Red Line it would only have served a certain direction (east-west) while Amazon's HQ likely would have been in a place like Port Covington which is supposed to be served by a light rail spur with easy connection to downtown, the train station and the airport. The vast majority of their potential employees would not have relied on the red line to get to work. Many cities on the final 20 list don't have great mass transit better than Baltimore's system (Columbus, Indianapolis, Austin, Pittsburgh and Raleigh, Atlanta and Dallas all come to mind, in fact Baltimore even has a subway that those cities don't).

If I were to bet on the final location it will be one of the DC options. Most likely Northern Virginia near Dulles. And there's no way the Red Line could have competed with that.

What most likely killed Baltimore's bid was crime and perception of helplessness.

[choccity]

Originally Posted by Tallybalt

Possibly. But I doubt it made a difference. Had there been a fully operational Red Line it would only have served a certain direction (east-west) while Amazon's HQ likely would have been in a place like Port Covington which is supposed to be served by a light rail spur with easy connection to downtown, the train station and the airport. The vast majority of their potential employees would not have relied on the red line to get to work. Many cities on the final 20 list don't have great mass transit better than Baltimore's system (Columbus, Indianapolis, Austin, Pittsburgh and Raleigh, Atlanta and Dallas all come to mind, in fact Baltimore even has a subway that those cities don't).

If I were to bet on the final location it will be one of the DC options. Most likely Northern Virginia near Dulles. And there's no way the Red Line could have competed with that.

What most likely killed Baltimore's bid was crime and perception of helplessness.

I think your right. I was reading what they were saying to the Mayor and in a nice way it was exactly that. You don't have to overstate the obvious.

[LesLucid]

Crime rate had to be a concern. Baltimore's crime rate is still, I believe, highest in the nation. Baltimore was ranked in one report as 19th most dangerous city in the world. Also, I remember back many years ago when White Oak Semiconductor was looking for a new home. They settled over in northern Virginia area and never even talked to Maryland. Bechtel Power recently moved out of Frederick. Beretta moved out of Maryland and went to TN. Overall, Maryland is not very business friendly on a variety of fronts and companies of course see this.

This chart is for small business, which Amazon admittedly is not, but nevertheless gives an idea of business friendliness climate.

https://www.thumbtack.com/survey#/2013/1/states

[BMoreJuice]

Baltimore can't catch the break that it desperately needs.

[thedirtypirate]

Baltimore released there official proposal today online: https://www.scribd.com/book/37154138...ore-Amazon-RFP