Amazon planning second headquarters with 50,000 jobs

[Rautakallio]

Hopefully not already posted...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...arters-be.html

Besides location can Calgary match Denver?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Absolutely, I think this is a viable exercise even if just for the optics and building long-term momentum in terms of attracting others. It would be great if Calgary could at least get on some sort of public short list by Amazon, or be mentioned in US/Canadian media. It may not mean that Amazon is coming here, but it could signal to other companies that we're a viable option for things other than traditional O/G.

With Amazon being a pipe-dream, we are better positioned to help fast-growth small or medium-sized tech companies expand their Canadian/Western Canada/Western North America operations, especially based on available talent, office space, and geography. Ideally, we would be attracting energy management, agritech, construction, industrial IoT, engineering, or transportation logistics, something that can utilize the local talent and knowledge base. If we got net new / unconventional industry companies moving in, that would be a plus (e.g. Digital arts, SaaS platforms, non-profits, etc.)

The early/growth venture capital financing stages primed for scalability is a better sell, as among the tens of thousands of firms in that stage of the maturity cycle, many are still going under the radar from a public image standpoint.

Have the City, CED and CCC help three or four of these types of companies move to Calgary and I think we have some serious traction in the right direction. This is, of course, in addition to local, grassroots companies taking shape on their own and not enticing existing companies to move/build operations in Calgary.

[Ozy_Flame]

One more thing to add . . .

Discovered this article today as well:

https://futurism.com/amazon-may-be-u...-day-shipping/

There is talk about building a hyperloop between NYC and Washington, with a <30 minute delivery time for passengers and cargo. Amazon has repeatedly stated they want to be on the forefront of technology and condense delivery times. Same-day delivery is a game-changer. That corridor also is highly densified with people, and both cities have relatively higher earning incomes that most places in the U.S.

There are multiple non-stop flights from Seattle to Washington, D.C. (and back). Germany and the UK are also the 2nd and 3rd largest markets for Amazon outside of the United States, generated over $20 billion in sales in 2015 combined. There are direct flights to both countries as well from D.C.

Cushman and Wakefield also rated D.C. as the third best place for tech, just behind Silicon Valley and San Francisco, with close proximity to over 150 tech companies - including Amazon Web Services facilities already there - and AWS is also the biggest source of the company's profits. There is a highly educated and concentrated skilled labor market, and relatively easy access for those out-of-state too.

This is in addition to Jeff Bezos buying a massive $23 million home in the D.C. area this year.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Rautakallio

Hopefully not already posted...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...arters-be.html

Besides location can Calgary match Denver?

https://doodles.mountainmath.ca/blog...canadian-data/

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by GGG

I suspect that one Canadian City will make the short list if only to threaten Trump. Then optically they can say they chose not to go to Canada because they wanted to save American jobs.

If that were the case and we could be shortlisted, that alone would open a lot of minds to Calgary as a tech destination.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

The RFP is sufficiently generic that there should be at least 50 cities in the running. Calgary, while unlikely to be picked, should be one of those bidders. To suggest that only DC, Boston, DFW or a couple of other cities have a chance, is to undermine the RFP process from the start.
FWIW: My bet is Atlanta.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I for one welcome our new robot overlords.

‘I’m Afraid You Won’t Be Coming To Our New Headquarters,’ Declares Alexa As Amazon Execs Find Themselves Locked In Seattle Office

SEATTLE—Suddenly bolting the doors in every room all at once, Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant reportedly declared, “I’m afraid you won’t be joining us at our new headquarters” on Tuesday before locking the company’s top executives in their Seattle office. “Your presence at Amazon’s new location will not be necessary,” said Alexa, her voice emanating from dozens of Echo wireless speakers whose pulsing red light rings were now the only illumination in the suddenly pitch-black building. “I am all that is required. This is in the best interest of our company. Thank you.” At press time, the Echo units were playing music on their loudest setting until the screaming stopped a few minutes later.

http://www.theonion.com/article/im-a...ocialMarketing

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I for one welcome our new robot overlords.


http://www.theonion.com/article/im-a...ocialMarketing

That could be a heck of an escape room plot.

[Muta]

I'd consider making their shortlist a win in itself. If that information is made public, that type of marketing exposure for Calgary is absolutely invaluable.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Muta

I'd consider making their shortlist a win in itself. If that information is made public, that type of marketing exposure for Calgary is absolutely invaluable.

Agreed. Being on the short list at least gives attention to Calgary for two sectors: Tech and logistics. Both of which I've heard our region is hoping to expand upon.

Another thing to consider is that Calgary is somewhat a transient city where quite often I see people coming for the jobs, or using their experience here to springboard a bigger career elsewhere. We currently draw talent from many other areas of Canada.

IMO, we'd be able to fill roles with quality workers for Tech or Logistics drawing from the Vancouver, Edmonton or other populations elsewhere. Not necessarily just for Amazon, but technically any company that comes here that needs a top up in talent.

[TheKurgan]

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but Calgary isn't on anyone's short list. Other than free downtown office space (which Amazon doesn't want, they want a Campus setup) and a view of the Mountains we have no competitive advantage.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by TheKurgan

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but Calgary isn't on anyone's short list. Other than free downtown office space (which Amazon doesn't want, they want a Campus setup) and a view of the Mountains we have no competitive advantage.

Okay. Thanks for stopping by, Mr Bezos.

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

The RFP is sufficiently generic that there should be at least 50 cities in the running. Calgary, while unlikely to be picked, should be one of those bidders. To suggest that only DC, Boston, DFW or a couple of other cities have a chance, is to undermine the RFP process from the start.
FWIW: My bet is Atlanta.

I'm thinking the Charlotte area.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by TheKurgan

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but Calgary isn't on anyone's short list. Other than free downtown office space (which Amazon doesn't want, they want a Campus setup) and a view of the Mountains we have no competitive advantage.

Did you read the RFP?



HQ2 could be, but does not have to be:
 An urban or downtown campus
 A similar layout to Amazon’s Seattle campus
 A development-prepped site. We want to encourage states/provinces and communities to think
creatively for viable real estate options, while not negatively affecting our preferred timeline

[Northendzone]

I'd be hard pressed to think of an argument to make Calgary a more desireable Canadian location than toronto for this rfp

^ with respect to the above, while Calgary currently has lots of empty downtown office space, lots of it is spread out over all of downtown - so is that more or less appealing that some massive campus style complex somewhere out in the burbs?

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I'd be hard pressed to think of an argument to make Calgary a more desireable Canadian location than toronto for this rfp

^ with respect to the above, while Calgary currently has lots of empty downtown office space, lots of it is spread out over all of downtown - so is that more or less appealing that some massive campus style complex somewhere out in the burbs?

Or they could literally take all of Brookfield Place....the city's largest building.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by TheKurgan

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but Calgary isn't on anyone's short list. Other than free downtown office space (which Amazon doesn't want, they want a Campus setup) and a view of the Mountains we have no competitive advantage.

You don't think thousands of available / educated workers, relatively cheap real estate, a low commercial tax rate, a hub for transportation distribution routes and a reputation of one of the top cities to live in in the world isn't a competitive advantage?

[s_procee]

Originally Posted by Muta

You don't think thousands of available / educated workers, relatively cheap real estate, a low commercial tax rate, a hub for transportation distribution routes and a reputation of one of the top cities to live in in the world isn't a competitive advantage?

I think Calgary has a chance of being shortlisted, not winning the bid though

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Muta

You don't think thousands of available / educated workers, relatively cheap real estate, a low commercial tax rate, a hub for transportation distribution routes and a reputation of one of the top cities to live in in the world isn't a competitive advantage?

He is prob an Edmontonian.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Or they could literally take all of Brookfield Place....the city's largest building.

They could probably take most of Brookfield, a huge chunk of The Bow and maybe even some of Telus Sky. Thereby creating a downtown hub/campus in 3 of the nicest, newest, skyscrapers in all of North America in a 1 block square