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Amazon Second HQ

This may be one of those times where it's good that our mayor was a former CEO of a large technology(ish) company. I'm sure that at the very least he knows what a large corporation would be looking for and would have a better idea how to sell it.

Tory was an old-money CEO of a communication company that maintains its position via an ogliopoly- hardly of the mindset of the new economy that Amazon seems to demand.

It's little wonder that he maintains fiscally conservative positions on nearly everything in this city.
 
I decided to browse Bisnow for a quick overview of how other cities are responding to Amazon HQ2 speculation.

How Realistic Are Chicago's Chances To Land Amazon's Second HQ? Quite, Experts Say

Here's How And Where Philadelphia Will Try To Get Amazon's HQ2
https://www.bisnow.com/denver/news/state-of-market/denver-event-coverage-79110
Denver With Amazon HQ2: A Game-Changer. Without It: Continued Exceptional Growth Anyway

The Crazy Plan That Could Be Boston's Amazon HQ2 Silver Bullet

If Amazon Chooses Atlanta, These Sites Are Where It Could Go

Amazon HQ2 Could Finally Bring D.C. Region Together, But Divides Run Deep

Portland Would Be A Long Shot For The New Amazon HQ. Or Would It?

Brooklyn Is Taking Aim At Amazon's HQ2

"I don’t think the [50,000-employee] labor pool is going to be the driving force. It's the quality of life, the transport, the infrastructure, the 'Will our people be happy here?' the 'Do we want to be in the East Coast versus the West Coast since we’re already on the West Coast?'" Colliers International President U.S. Brokerage Marty Pupil said. "We don’t know what the ultimate driver is for Amazon … it’s too early to tell." [LINK]

Here is what their quick excerpt says about Toronto:

INCENTIVES: Toronto is becoming the next tech mecca and would offer an East Coast location
CHALLENGES: Tight office market and expensive housing

"Toronto’s tech industry has been driving the city’s office growth, making the city North America’s fastest-growing tech market. Toronto also has the advantage of being more affordable than other leading tech markets, creating a better bottom-line opportunity for companies, though its cost of living for employees is still expensive. The city has a large educated workforce, universities, a diverse population and a local government willing to work with the company, Tory said. Ontario leaders hinted they would be willing to extend incentives to the company as they have done for other businesses that have moved to the area. While office space is tight with minimal vacancy downtown, there are areas of the city with large amounts of developable land."
 
"I don’t think the [50,000-employee] labor pool is going to be the driving force. It's the quality of life, the transport, the infrastructure, the 'Will our people be happy here?' the 'Do we want to be in the East Coast versus the West Coast since we’re already on the West Coast?'" Colliers International President U.S. Brokerage Marty Pupil said. "We don’t know what the ultimate driver is for Amazon … it’s too early to tell." [LINK]

I think it boils down to vaguely following Amazon's requirements in the RFP, plus a favorable tax regime/incentives.

I wonder how much of the initial workforce is going to be pulled from the city's labour pool rather than just parachuted down from various other Amazon offices.
 
Tory was an old-money CEO of a communication company that maintains its position via an ogliopoly- hardly of the mindset of the new economy that Amazon seems to demand.

It's little wonder that he maintains fiscally conservative positions on nearly everything in this city.

And Bezos is a new-money CEO that wish to create a monopoly - they may get along better than we think.

AoD
 
After reading some more articles--particularly about what other cities are suggesting for good developable areas--I think Vaughan CC is the best alternative to an inner city HQ. It has immediate access to mass transit, 2 major highways and is closer to the airport than DT. The only knock, really, is that it's, well, Vaughan.
 
WANT AMAZON’S NEW HQ IN YOUR TOWN? MUST HAVE BIKE LANES, SAYS AMAZON

Article is weak in that they are basing the headline and the article off of one line in the RFP, and no Amazon official has stated explicitly the desire for bike lanes, but nevertheless, I do believe this to be true. They are going to choose a location that is cycling friendly.

This makes me think not in a satelite suburb of a major city.
 
There's no way they could build it in downtown Toronto. FCP has 2.7m square feet of space, and at a very tight 150 sqft per employee that's a maximum occupancy of 18,000 people (though in reality less, since the 1970s fire escapes probably can't handle that density). Where are they going to put 3-4 FCP-sized towers downtown? The portlands would be the only choice, and that's decades away from being ready.

For a mixed-size campus model Downsview would work, but only if you took out the airport (highly unlikely). Woodbine racetrack would be a good spot, but similarly unavailable. If you need transit access there's Vaughan, Or, you could do something interesting with the rail yards and brownfields in SW Etobicoke (which would have good subway and highway access). If you don't need the subway there's also some land north of YYZ. Beyond that you're looking well into the 905.
 
Toronto and Vancouver tech insiders weigh in on value of snagging Amazon's HQ2

"There's a raging debate that's happening right now," says Bilal Khan, CEO of the Toronto innovation hub OneEleven, and he says there are generally two schools of thought. There are those who see the potential for a giant like Amazon to come in and suck up all of the tech talent in the city. Amazon has the resources to pay workers higher salaries than any startup company, raising the market value of talent.

"For a startup that's really, really important," says Khan. "You think about trying to compete for some of that talent to be part of your company to help your company grow." The other side of the argument sees the Amazon bid as a huge opportunity for a city with a growing tech industry. "We are a world-class city, we are coming into our own, it's really our time. So we can absorb a company like Amazon," says Khan.

But for Khan, the argument comes down to a choice between helping a giant like Amazon or building homegrown, Canadian companies. "Obviously it's the latter," says Khan. "Our primary focus needs to be around the long-term economic growth of Canada, and that is going to be predominantly focused on how do we help Canadian companies grow and become the next Amazons and Googles."
 


This is a real concern of mine:

"If I look at my experience being in Seattle now for 10-plus years, residential real estate has more than doubled in price, commercial real estate has nearly tripled in price," says Thomson.

When so many people in a city work for one particular company, especially a company that can pay as well as Amazon, it can create issues of inequality.
 

Interesting on-goings in that city:
Amazon already has a close association with Boston, having purchased local robot-maker Kiva Systems Inc. for $775 million in 2012. The e-commerce giant plans to add 900 jobs to a new office along Fort Point Channel in the spring, close to new headquarters being built for General Electric Co., which is focusing on the so-called Internet of Things. MIT recently announced a major breakthrough on voice-activated technology that could be of interest to Amazon, which sells the Echo smart speaker.
 

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