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Detroit is a nice sleeper pick, but it lacks transit and major universities.
There is an enormous amount of engineering talent in Detroit -- the guys that run GM. Ford, and Chrysler are incredibly tech savvy. Toss in the depth of talent associated with UofM for companies like Google and the various pharma / chemical firms and it is among the most under-the-radar tech towns...
The relative value of having boosters like Dan Gilbert is huge -- https://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/17/bill...nd-brains.html The recent deal that Amazon did with Whole Foods was almost 100% "top guy to top guy" -- Bezos and Mackey pretty much felt this was the right thing to do -- https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/20/whol...ationship.html I could 100% see Dan Gilbert, who is very much like Bezos, getting this sort of deal done on a similar way...
Logan Airport doesn't hold a candle to O'Hare. Chicago is also one of the top logistic/shipping hubs in the country, which will most surely be a factor to a company like Amazon...
So I disagree that it's Boston's bid to lose. I definitely agree that they are going to get some sweet incentives though. That's become a reality if you want to bring jobs, unfortunately.
I agree Chicago is way better shipping/airport hub but this is going to be a HQ and not a distribution center. That's why Bezos is looking for cities over 1 million and large university presence. They need talent...not distribution. The Northeast Ivy Leagues are very attractive. Bezos went to Princeton so he knows the value of Ivy League. Tons of smart kids all around and when they're looking for tech/drones/shipping/distribution I can't imagine a better talent pool than Ivy Leagues. Finally Boston just lured GE HQ so they know how to land a big company.
Again I double down on Boston being the pick. I really hope Chicago gets it though.
I agree Chicago is way better shipping/airport hub but this is going to be a HQ and not a distribution center. That's why Bezos is looking for cities over 1 million and large university presence. They need talent...not distribution. The Northeast Ivy Leagues are very attractive. Bezos went to Princeton so he knows the value of Ivy League. Tons of smart kids all around and when they're looking for tech/drones/shipping/distribution I can't imagine a better talent pool than Ivy Leagues. Finally Boston just lured GE HQ so they know how to land a big company.
Again I double down on Boston being the pick. I really hope Chicago gets it though.
Boston is more expensive than Chicago and from what I heard their mass transit sucks.
Chicago has some top notch universities (Northwestern, University of Chicago), not to mention all the transplant college graduates we get from all over the midwest.
I admit I have shrugged off some cities like Atlanta and Austin when in reality they are bigger competition than I had given them credit for. Atlanta does have the infrastructure to support Amazon, and Austin, while lacking in some ways, is competition due to Bezos' personal ties there and Whole Foods.
That being said does the owner of the Washington Post really want to invest in a red state and all the politics that come with that? Sure the cities are liberal but the states are pretty red. Corporations have been known to fight state politicians on many issues particularly gay marriage which Bezos is a strong proponent of. This makes me think Chicago, Boston, Philly and Toronto are more friendly territory for Bezos, especially in such a politically polarized climate we find ourselves in and the imminent political battles we are going to face.
3 of 4 analysts have Chicago on their shortlist. This is a golden opportunity. I have a good feeling on Chicago for this but only time will tell as to how it plays out.
Boston is more expensive than Chicago and from what I heard their mass transit sucks.
Chicago has some top notch universities (Northwestern, University of Chicago), not to mention all the transplant college graduates we get from all over the midwest.
As great as Boston is for education, For quantity and draw I think Chicago can go toe to toe with Boston. Harvard (full disclosure: from which I have a masters) & MIT vs UofC & Northwestern are a good matchup. IIT, Loyola, UIC and DePaul are also excellent regional schools, and then in Chicago catchment pool for education you have UIUC, Note Dame, UofM, Depaw, Madison, Washington St. Louis, Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota, and dozens of smaller but still quality schools. Boston also can draw from Dartmouth and Cornell and Tufts and Northeastern and BC. I think they're close to equal as far as education availability.
Boston's transit is actually comparable to Chicago. It's very different, and it's strengths and weaknesses are very different, but overall bi don't think either City has a big leg up on the other when it comes to transit. I've lived carless in Chicago for almost 20 years and I was carless in Boston when I lived there.
I think Logan Airport punches below it's weight, which is a negative. I think costs are higher on Boston. I think Boston feels relatively isolated compared to other cities, despite only being four hours from NYC. I think the areas Bison could accommodate 8 million square feet of development are inconvenient parts of the Boston area. They could manage, but it would either take longer than Saladin would prefer, or they'd have to live with lesser transit options near their campus.
Personally I think that while Boston isn't impossible, that based on the cost of doing business alone, Amazon will end up elsewhere. Denver, Philly, Atlanta, remain Chicago's biggest competition in my mind. The three dark horses I see are Detroit, Cleveland, and Baltimore. If be surprised in Amazon chose any of those, but not shocked like I would if, say, Tampa won the bidding.
As great as Boston is for education, For quantity and draw I think Chicago can go toe to toe with Boston. Harvard & MIT vs UofC & Northwestern are a good matchup. IIT, Loyola, UIC and DePaul are also excellent regional schools, and then in Chicago catchment pool for education you have UIUC, Note Dame, UofM, Depaw, Madison, Washington St. Louis, Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota, and dozens of smaller but still quality schools. Boston also can draw from Dartmouth and Cornell and Tufts and Northeastern and BC. I think they're close to equal as far as education availability.
Boston's transit is actually comparable to Chicago. It's very different, and it's strengths and weaknesses are very different, but overall bi don't think either City has a big leg up on the other when it comes to transit. I've lived carless in Chicago for almost 20 years and I was carless in Boston when I lived there.
I think Logan Airport punches below it's weight, which is a negative. I think costs are higher on Boston. I think Boston feels relatively isolated compared to other cities, despite only being four hours from NYC. I think the areas Bison could accommodate 8 million square feet of development are inconvenient parts of the Boston area. They could manage, but it would either take longer than Saladin would prefer, or they'd have to live with lesser transit options near their campus.
Personally I think that while Boston isn't impossible, that based on the cost of doing business alone, Amazon will end up elsewhere. Denver, Philly, Atlanta, remain Chicago's biggest competition in my mind. The three dark horses I see are Detroit, Cleveland, and Baltimore. If be surprised in Amazon chose any of those, but not shocked like I would if, say, Tampa won the bidding.
I was wondering when you'd chime in
Agreed, though I'm less optimistic on Detroit, Cleveland and Baltimore, though of the three Baltimore is probably the best bet. Bezos is a businessman, not a philanthropist. Amazon is likely going to want to open up somewhere where there is already an established tech presence where they can easily draw from a deep talent pool, and already has the infrastructure in place to accommodate its employees and their needs. In other words they aren't looking to be trailblazers. Chicago offers a lot.
People are focused too much on schools in the Chicago metro. Not that they aren't globally excellent, but there isn't a top ranked tech school in the metro. But that's okay because Chicago has a huge pull factor from many highly ranked tech schools in the Midwest as you've noted. I mean heck, Purdue, UIUC are what, 2ish hours away? Plus Chicago has a nationwide and global draw. You will definitely have people pouring in from the coasts.
Given Chicago's persevering ability to attract millenials and top knotch talent, airports, mass transit, and availability of excellent urban space, it really makes a compelling case for Amazon. At least it should. The incentives are negotiable I think and while I have been an outspoken critic of Illinois' politics and financial missteps, this is something Illinois needs to bend over backwards for. It would change the game in Chicago in a very big way.
As great as Boston is for education, For quantity and draw I think Chicago can go toe to toe with Boston. Harvard (full disclosure: from which I have a masters) & MIT vs UofC & Northwestern are a good matchup. IIT, Loyola, UIC and DePaul are also excellent regional schools, and then in Chicago catchment pool for education you have UIUC, Note Dame, UofM, Depaw, Madison, Washington St. Louis, Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota, and dozens of smaller but still quality schools. Boston also can draw from Dartmouth and Cornell and Tufts and Northeastern and BC. I think they're close to equal as far as education availability.
Boston's transit is actually comparable to Chicago. It's very different, and it's strengths and weaknesses are very different, but overall bi don't think either City has a big leg up on the other when it comes to transit. I've lived carless in Chicago for almost 20 years and I was carless in Boston when I lived there.
I think Logan Airport punches below it's weight, which is a negative. I think costs are higher on Boston. I think Boston feels relatively isolated compared to other cities, despite only being four hours from NYC. I think the areas Bison could accommodate 8 million square feet of development are inconvenient parts of the Boston area. They could manage, but it would either take longer than Saladin would prefer, or they'd have to live with lesser transit options near their campus.
Personally I think that while Boston isn't impossible, that based on the cost of doing business alone, Amazon will end up elsewhere. Denver, Philly, Atlanta, remain Chicago's biggest competition in my mind. The three dark horses I see are Detroit, Cleveland, and Baltimore. If be surprised in Amazon chose any of those, but not shocked like I would if, say, Tampa won the bidding.
I can't add much more, but I would be happy if Detroit got this (though unlikely). I think ATL is our main competitor as I see this next HQ as positioning towards a central transit hub - something that both ATL & CHI could fulfill.
Toronto must be under consideration since the RFP said North America and not just the US. I think with Trump rattling NAFTA there's some visa uncertainty that hurts them. Trump's isolationist attitude in general hurts Toronto even if you hope Trump serves less that one term, he's been counted out how many times before? A lot of Chicago's strengths are shared by Toronto although I think Chicago wins in education. So I wouldn't be shocked by Toronto, but I would be surprised.
Nobody asks about Mexico City or Monterrey, too, and Mexico City is enormous and that would help open up all of Latin America even if the office were officially an English speaking one. But the corruption and reputation for muggings or mini-kidnappings or whatever you want to call being dragged to an ATM and made to draw out your daily maximum doesn't help sell it. But, still, Mexico City would be a very interesting choice. I like it and considered moving there myself, but it might be a hard sell for a lot of people when recruiting gringos.
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