In the month since Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced plans for a $5 billion development that would serve as the e-commerce giant’s second headquarters, cities and regional economic development organizations (EGOs) across the country have been tripping over themselves in an effort to woo the world’s third-largest tech company.
In using an open RFP process with a tight timeline (just six weeks from the Sept. 7 reveal date), Amazon created a frenzied, almost hackathon-like atmosphere that it hoped would spark next-level creativity when it comes to urban redevelopment and incentives for corporate businesses. Amazon’s RFP process downplays the backroom dealings common with massive economic development opportunities like this, in favor of a more inclusive “show us what you got” approach.
And show us they did. As of mid-October, more than 50 cities and development groups had responded to Amazon’s RFP. The proposals range from impressive to outright wild. Noteworthy examples:
Dallas: a transit-oriented development for HQ2 adjacent to a proposed bullet train station. The $15 billion train line would shuttle passengers to and from Houston.
Phoenix: adapt a 1950s retail mall (the city’s first mall), which currently houses a few restaurants, offices, and a data center.
Frisco, Texas, is offering to build out the remainder of its city—the 62-square-mile Dallas suburb is 60% developed—with Amazon’s HQ as the centerpiece.
Atlanta suburb Stonecrest has promised to devote 345 acres to the corporate campus and rename a portion of the community, “City of Amazon.”
New Jersey has plans for some $7
billion in tax breaks over the next decade.
Don’t get me wrong, HQ2 would be a huge win for any metro market. Amazon says it expects the development to ramp up to include as many as 50,000 jobs.
But the hysteria around Amazon’s open RFP has gone to a new level of absurdity. I’m just waiting for Bezos to announce that he’s purchasing airtime on CNBC for his own version of LeBron’s “The Decision.” “After careful consideration, we decided that we’re going to take our talents to __________.” (Cut to camera on scene, applause erupts.)
It’s safe to say that the majority of the 50+ entrants in the race for HQ2 has a slim chance of winning. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t valuable lessons to glean from the exercise, says Amy Liu, a VP and Director with the Brookings Institution.
“This global firm basically sent a very clear market signal to cities about what matters, and I think they are really scrambling now to make sure they exhibit those assets,” she said. “But after the competition is over, what I want is for cities to not let go of that core message, which is that a strong technical workforce, a livable sustainable community, strong transit, multimodal access, and ultimately a diverse, tolerant community, those are the factors that matter in the long term.”
Related Stories
| Nov 3, 2014
Cairo's ultra-green mixed-use development will be topped with flowing solar canopy
The solar canopy will shade green rooftop terraces and sky villas atop the nine-story structure.
| Oct 30, 2014
New hotel to be developed at future Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters
The Omni property will be one of the only full-service upscale hotels in the area, and serve as a cornerstone of the mixed-use development, which will be anchored by the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and Frisco’s Multi-Use Event Center.
| Oct 29, 2014
Better guidance for appraising green buildings is steadily emerging
The Appraisal Foundation is striving to improve appraisers’ understanding of green valuation.
| Oct 27, 2014
Davis, Calif., latest city to join race to develop 'innovation hubs'
The city plans to develop two "innovation centers" with a total of seven million sf of commercial space geared for local research and technology companies.
| Oct 24, 2014
Work in the City: Urban Diversificaton
As work and the other aspects of our lives blend, lifestyle becomes the primary lens through which all facets come into focus. In this light, individuals are taking more ownership of their own life and work choices.
| Oct 24, 2014
Herzog & de Meuron reveals plans for redesign of Roche pharmaceutical campus in Germany
The project includes the addition of a 205-meter-high tower and research center, as well as the renovation of an historic office building designed by Swiss architect Otto R. Salvisber.
Sponsored | | Oct 23, 2014
From slots to public safety: Abandoned Detroit casino transformed into LEED-certified public safety headquarters
First constructed as an office for the Internal Revenue Service, the city's new public safety headquarters had more recently served as a temporary home for the MGM Casino. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 23, 2014
China's 'weird' buildings: President Xi Jinping wants no more of them
During a literary symposium in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged architects, authors, actors, and other artists to produce work with "artistic and moral value."
| Oct 22, 2014
Customization is the key in tomorrow's workplace
The importance of mobility, flexibility, and sustainability in the world of corporate design are already well-established. A newer trend that’s gaining deserved attention is customizability, and how it will look in the coming years, writes GS&P's Leith Oatman.
| Oct 16, 2014
Perkins+Will white paper examines alternatives to flame retardant building materials
The white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 found in the indoor environment, and 33 in human blood, milk, and tissues.