After 11 months of hoping, praying, and more than a little begging, 18 finalist cities came away empty handed from the lottery for Amazon’s second headquarters, which promised the winner a Powerball of 50,000 high-paying jobs, $5 billion in direct investment, and an economic boon.
On Nov. 12, Amazon confirmed that it had chosen two locations—Long Island City in the New York borough of Queens, and the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Va.—where it will split its hiring and investment plans for its second homes.
Amazon’s overhyped yet secretive selection process—starting with the announcement of its plans in September 2017, followed by a six-week pitch period that drew bids from 238 cities—produced a short list of metros whose elected officials and business leaders pleaded their cases and promised the moon: tax breaks, land grants, and infrastructure improvements in the billions of dollars. (Why this largesse should be bestowed on one company is a topic for another time.)
As it turned out, though, Amazon’s HQ2 picks may have been preordained. The two cities already had the greatest number of Amazon employees outside of Seattle, and they offer a robust talent pool. Arlington is also near Washington, D.C., where Amazon’s Chairman and CEO Jeff Bezos lords over the Washington Post.
See Also: Amazon selects HQ2 cities
If, in fact, the two winners were always the frontrunners, and this whole exercise was a charade (as some of the chagrined cities suspect), Amazon pulled off a masterful act of manipulation and mass hypnosis, convincing the other contenders they had a legit shot. Officials in places like Denver, Chicago, and Boston—which were among the “leaders” cited in media speculation—are probably still scratching their heads about why their cities were also-rans.
During its vetting process, the tech giant gained access to troves of financial and demographic data about the cities it was considering. I don’t think it’s too cynical to suggest that Amazon will eventually use this information for other business purposes.
What, exactly, will the two winning cities be getting for their efforts, aside from more mass transit congestion? Probably not equal to what Amazon’s 14-million-sf presence has meant to Seattle’s economy and growth.
The stage has been set for Round 2, where developers and AEC firms trip over each other trying to get a piece of whatever Amazon is planning to either build or renovate. (The New York Times reported that Amazon informed the winners that it wants 500,000 sf of office space available in 2019.)
But before any firms enter the fray, it’s worth remembering that Seattle-based NBBJ has designed a number of buildings for Amazon, including its Spheres glass domes in Seattle, for which Magnusson Klemencic Associates was the structural engineer.
Related Stories
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 4, 2015
Arup unveils plans for the new A.C. Milan stadium
The venue will include a modern stage for the home matches together with a hotel, sports college, restaurants, children’s playground, green areas, and spaces open to the city and dedicated to public use.
Office Buildings | Feb 3, 2015
Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company
The tensile canopy shades a relaxation plaza from the desert sun.
Office Buildings | Feb 2, 2015
Study shows modern workers struggle to leave work at the office
Study findings indicate that more than half the respondents holds tight to their smartphones, checking and responding to email and taking phone calls, all or most of the time.
Building Team | Feb 2, 2015
Solid spending increases projected for construction industry in 2015
The commercial construction sector is now looking at double-digit increases in 2015, led by vigorous levels of demand for hotels and office buildings.
Sponsored | Building Team | Jan 30, 2015
The 4 leadership behaviors that really matter
Research conducted by McKinsey & Company suggests that the secret to developing effective leaders is to encourage four types of behavior, which includes seeking diverse perspectives and supporting others.
Energy Efficiency | Jan 28, 2015
An urban wind and solar energy system that may actually work
The system was designed to take advantage of a building's air flow and generate energy even if its in the middle of a city.
Office Buildings | Jan 27, 2015
London plans to build Foggo Associates' 'can of ham' building
The much delayed high-rise development at London’s 60-70 St. Mary Axe resembles a can of ham, and the project's architects are embracing the playful sobriquet.
Modular Building | Jan 21, 2015
Chinese company 3D prints six-story multifamily building
The building components were prefabricated piece by piece using a printer that is 7 meters tall, 10 meters wide, and 40 meters long.
| Jan 21, 2015
Tesla Motors starts construction on $5 billion battery plant in Nevada
Tesla Motors’ “gigafactory,” a $5 billion project on 980 acres in Sparks, Nev., could annually produce enough power for 500,000 electric cars.
| Jan 20, 2015
Daring hotel design scheme takes the shape of cut amethyst stone
The Dutch practice NL Architects designed a proposal for a chain of hotels shaped like a rock cut in half to reveal a gemstone inside.
