Amazon HQ2

[MIKE_G]

Took one of my sons to Falcons training camp in Flowery Branch on Saturday. Saw lots of real Georgians in their native habitat. Drove back to town and met my wife and other son at the MLS Block Party on the Beltline. Realize I live a sheltered life and happy to continue doing so.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

In fairness, isn’t that more about the hardcore NFL fans than Georgians?

 

[LesClaypool]

I've heard it said another way that I like too..."The problem with Atlanta, is it's surrounded by Georgia!"

Works for Birmingham, AL too...but to a lesser degree.

 

[noleit]

Havana, Florida - Nicholson’s Farmhouse property. Super hush hush right now.

I called the owners, they acted real coy and said they didn't know anything and abruptly hung up. So I guess it's on!

 

[Fijimn]

I've heard it said another way that I like too..."The problem with Atlanta, is it's surrounded by Georgia!"

Works for Birmingham, AL too...but to a lesser degree.

Well....you do know why Florida doesn't break off and float out into the ocean?


Because Georgia sucks.

 

[MIKE_G]

In fairness, isn’t that more about the hardcore NFL fans than Georgians?

I'm sure there's a lot of crossover there.

 

[GwinnettNole]

I've heard it said another way that I like too..."The problem with Atlanta, is it's surrounded by Georgia!"

Works for Birmingham, AL too...but to a lesser degree.

We went to Birmingham in June. I enjoyed the city and suburban areas. Outside of Huntsville (because of the STEM focus in H’ville) it’s probably the only place I could live in BAMA. I would have to be paid a lot....

 

[LesClaypool]

We went to Birmingham in June. I enjoyed the city and suburban areas. Outside of Huntsville (because of the STEM focus in H’ville) it’s probably the only place I could live in BAMA. I would have to be paid a lot....

I agree. I’ve been to Birmingham a number of times and always found it quite nice. I could theoretically live there - for the right price.

I’ve only been to Huntsville once, but I don’t recall ever thinking that it was a place I’d wanna go back to. The campus of the University of Alabama-Huntsville was ok, but the surrounding town was a hellhole as I recall.

 

[cfbfan23]

Huntsville's amazing by Alabama standards.

 

[GwinnettNole]

Huntsville's amazing by Alabama standards.

Yea agreed. Its changed over the years. The NASA Flight Center really propelled it into being a STEM center.
https://www.huntsville.org/things-to-do/attractions/stem/

I've often said if you could take the focus of Huntsville and move it to Birmingham you would have a pretty cool city for future growth.
Birmingham is beginning to push for more STEM start-ups, so maybe it could propel off the Huntsville gains.

 

[TexSkills]

I've been to Birmingham several times and I actually like it. Wouldn't want to live there but it's a nice city.

 

[PortaJohn]

Always has been DC for political reasons. Rest is dog and pony show.

 

[TripTych]

Always has been DC for political reasons. Rest is dog and pony show.

Give me an example of what concessions they can get "politically" by being based in DC where the COL is already extraordinarily high and they need to staff 50k positions. Isn't that what lobbyists are for? I've never heard of a company moving to DC for 'political' reasons, other than the obvious.

If it does end up being DC, it will be their infrastructure and tech talent, not because Bezo's thinks he can get political favors because he has a HQ there. What's he going to get from the senators from Wyoming?

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Always has been DC for political reasons. Rest is dog and pony show.

Bezos is worth approx $143bn, he's the richest man on earth (that we know of - many say putin has a dark money net worth that puts him at #1).

If he has a political agenda he could easily implement it ten times over without the dog and pony show of moving his company's second HQ to DC.

 

[LesClaypool]

A bit off topic, but very cool story IMO...

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jeff-bezos-apos-parents-invested-142700533.html

Jeff Bezos' parents invested $245,573 in Amazon in 1995 — now they could be worth $30 billion (AMZN)

In 1995, Bezos was trying to get Amazon off the ground and turned to his mother and stepfather, Jackie and Mike Bezos, for an investment. They complied, investing $245,573 in the company, according to Bloomberg.

At the time, Jeff Bezos warned them there was a 70% chance they'd never see that money again.

Now, as Amazon closes in on becoming the first $1 trillion company, Bezos' parents have become two of the richest people in the world.

According to Bloomberg's calculations, Bezos' parents could be worth as much as $30 billion, making them richer than the Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, Carl Icahn, Michael Dell, Elon Musk, and Laurene Powell Jobs.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Bezos is worth approx $143bn, he's the richest man on earth (that we know of - many say putin has a dark money net worth that puts him at #1).

 

[Hayduke GW]

That’s fantastic.

 

[seminole97]

Put that on a t-shirt and I'd buy it.

Make two versions, so you can sell one in every gas station across the state.

Sincerely,
Sylvester McMonkey McBean.

 

[GoNolesTX]

I live in DFW area and hope that Amazon doesn't come to this area. Traffic is already out of control and housing costs have had a noticeable bump since Toyota started moving to Plano over the last year.

I met someone from Seattle the other day who moved here who also didn't want Amazon to come here. She said the average sale price of homes in her part of Seattle skyrocketed to over 1.6 million after Amazon opened (and this was for a "rinky dink very basic neighborhood" in her terms)

This, so much this. I work right across DNT from Toyota, Liberty Mutual and Chase. TXDOT and the local munis have done such a God-awful job with infrastructure that a 10 minute commute is typically an hour now. Luckily I get to take advantage of the soaring home prices when I go to sell very soon, but otherwise, our cost of living is about to be unbearable.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

This, so much this. I work right across DNT from Toyota, Liberty Mutual and Chase. TXDOT and the local munis have done such a God-awful job with infrastructure that a 10 minute commute is typically an hour now. Luckily I get to take advantage of the soaring home prices when I go to sell very soon, but otherwise, our cost of living is about to be unbearable.

This is why I advocate for significant investment in transpo infrastructure, specifically public transpo, for growing cities.

ATL is going to choke on its own growth because it's been slow to continue growing MARTA or and/or light rail infrastructure. The ATL metro counties are really at fault for this, they'll regret it eventually.

It appears DFW area is in the same boat. With growth must come public investment.

 

[GoNolesTX]

This is why I advocate for significant investment in transpo infrastructure, specifically public transpo, for growing cities.

ATL is going to choke on its own growth because it's been slow to continue growing MARTA or and/or light rail infrastructure. The ATL metro counties are really at fault for this, they'll regret it eventually.

It appears DFW area is in the same boat. With growth must come public investment.

We've got DART that's pretty solid, but the issue is with suburbs (like Frisco) that don't want a certain "element" making its way to their burg with ease so they refuse to bring it to town. Ft Worth and Denton have viable public transportation, but the area is so sprawling that even park and ride options create headache.

(For the few that have relocated from DFW, as a point of reference, they've begun excavation for DNT expansion to near Pottsboro/Oklahoma.)

 

[FSUdawg]

I'm not exactly sure this news will change anything on the decision from Amazon, but it is definitely big news in Metro Atlanta. We'll have to wait and see if it gets official approval though.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt...DZtRPURdEwI/?icmp=np_inform_variation-control

 

[GwinnettNole]

I'm not exactly sure this news will change anything on the decision from Amazon, but it is definitely big news in Metro Atlanta. We'll have to wait and see if it gets official approval though.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt...DZtRPURdEwI/?icmp=np_inform_variation-control

March 19th? Sheesh.... Regardless times are a changing in metro Atlanta. This is a good thing and is needed IMO.

 

[FSUdawg]

March 19th? Sheesh.... Regardless times are a changing in metro Atlanta. This is a good thing and is needed IMO.

It was either the November General Election, or March 19th, which is the next official election in Georgia. Apparently the County Commissioners are taking some heat over not scheduling the vote for the November General Election. With the referendum in March I don't think it will pass.

 

[Nole Lou]

I'm not exactly sure this news will change anything on the decision from Amazon, but it is definitely big news in Metro Atlanta. We'll have to wait and see if it gets official approval though.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt...DZtRPURdEwI/?icmp=np_inform_variation-control

There's starting to be more interest in pulling Marta north to the Avalon in Alpharetta too. I think it will happen eventually, as the Avalon area and downtown Alpharetta are embracing more of the high density living/shopping/entertainment philosophy. A marta stop to take people to jobs and things in Atlanta is kind of a no brainer for attracting younger professionals that are attracted to those townhouses and condos. I think they're thinking going for Decatur North. You're not going car-free in Alpharetta anytime soon, but I think a Marta stop fits the philosophy, although its nothing more than talk yet.

Which is to say nothing for the massive amount of retail/restaurant that has opened and is planned, and isn't going to be filled by the folks living in half-million dollar homes nearby. They're going to need the train going there just to serve all the rich folks.

 

[OsceolaNole]

I think our state has a great pro-business climate. We had the Cagle issues with Delta, but Deal has really done a fantastic job.

You will see how favorably people view our state (and city) government tomorrow. Should be a pretty big announcement for a non-tech company moving to the COA, and relatively unthinkable just a few years ago.

TT - can you share this announcement ? Not doubting you, just haven't come across it or looked for it, and I'm interested. Thx.

 

[OrlandNole]

There's starting to be more interest in pulling Marta north to the Avalon in Alpharetta too. I think it will happen eventually, as the Avalon area and downtown Alpharetta are embracing more of the high density living/shopping/entertainment philosophy. A marta stop to take people to jobs and things in Atlanta is kind of a no brainer for attracting younger professionals that are attracted to those townhouses and condos. I think they're thinking going for Decatur North. You're not going car-free in Alpharetta anytime soon, but I think a Marta stop fits the philosophy, although its nothing more than talk yet.

Which is to say nothing for the massive amount of retail/restaurant that has opened and is planned, and isn't going to be filled by the folks living in half-million dollar homes nearby. They're going to need the train going there just to serve all the rich folks.

This will be of interest to you Atlanta folks. It's called The ATL and will consolidate MARTA and other transit operators into a regionally-functioning system:

• The ATL won’t go into effect until Jan. 1 (2019)

• The ATL governing body will live inside of SRTA/GRTA

• Chris Tomlinson, who is the Executive Director of SRTA/GRTA, has been chosen to serve the ATL’s interim director

• The region’s various transit agencies will operate under the unified name by 2023, including MARTA and GRTA

• Counties included: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale

o Each county in The ATL’s footprint will have the option to hold 30-year T-SPLOST referendums to create special sales taxes of up to 1 percent to fund transit projects in their county that were identified in the regional transit plan

o “Importantly, the regional transit legislation provides flexibility and autonomy for member counties, who must “opt in” to any specific project or funding mechanism"

• House Bill 930 also provides a hundred million dollars to expand transit: "Georgia’s 2019 state budget will include $100 million to fund statewide transit projects". This appears to be over 10 years, and is only a $25m increase versus the prior budget year commitment to transit

• “House Bill 930 creates a seamless, unified transit governance and funding structure across metro Atlanta..." - Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville (The implications of this need to be investigated further)

 

[Cubs79]

Nashville voters killed the transit proposal in May, dealing a serious blow to their chances. That said, I don't see how any metro area below, say 5 million people, can absorb a hit of that order of magnitude to their job and housing markets. That leaves Atlanta, Boston, LA, Dallas, Philly, DC, NYC, Chicago and Toronto as the only legitimate contenders.

I thought popular theory is that Chicago would get it.

I think Nashville actually had a pretty good shot at it too, but I think the transit vote probably killed the chances.

 

[csklad]

 

[GwinnettNole]

There's starting to be more interest in pulling Marta north to the Avalon in Alpharetta too. I think it will happen eventually, as the Avalon area and downtown Alpharetta are embracing more of the high density living/shopping/entertainment philosophy. A marta stop to take people to jobs and things in Atlanta is kind of a no brainer for attracting younger professionals that are attracted to those townhouses and condos. I think they're thinking going for Decatur North. You're not going car-free in Alpharetta anytime soon, but I think a Marta stop fits the philosophy, although its nothing more than talk yet.

Which is to say nothing for the massive amount of retail/restaurant that has opened and is planned, and isn't going to be filled by the folks living in half-million dollar homes nearby. They're going to need the train going there just to serve all the rich folks.

I live in Cumming and take public transit to Buckhead everyday. I couldn’t do this commute without it. I look at the fools on 400 hugging the brake while I’m on the bus and then train and think thank God I have this option. My in-laws who are from the metro area (and also now in Forsyth country) want nothing to do with public transit. They are definitely old time southerners....

 

[FSUdawg]

There's starting to be more interest in pulling Marta north to the Avalon in Alpharetta too. I think it will happen eventually, as the Avalon area and downtown Alpharetta are embracing more of the high density living/shopping/entertainment philosophy. A marta stop to take people to jobs and things in Atlanta is kind of a no brainer for attracting younger professionals that are attracted to those townhouses and condos. I think they're thinking going for Decatur North. You're not going car-free in Alpharetta anytime soon, but I think a Marta stop fits the philosophy, although its nothing more than talk yet.

Which is to say nothing for the massive amount of retail/restaurant that has opened and is planned, and isn't going to be filled by the folks living in half-million dollar homes nearby. They're going to need the train going there just to serve all the rich folks.

IMO at some point MARTA needs to look at linking each of the lines at or near the ends instead of only downtown. It doesn't make sense for someone at the Airport wanting to go to the west side to have to go downtown first. Almost every other mass transit system I have been on has other transfer points instead of one central location...I don't count Lindburg Station because that only helps the north & northeast lines of MARTA.

Outward expansion is fine, but at some point they need to do some cross expansion between the lines.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

This will be of interest to you Atlanta folks. It's called The ATL and will consolidate MARTA and other transit operators into a regionally-functioning system:

• The ATL won’t go into effect until Jan. 1 (2019)

• The ATL governing body will live inside of SRTA/GRTA

• Chris Tomlinson, who is the Executive Director of SRTA/GRTA, has been chosen to serve the ATL’s interim director

• The region’s various transit agencies will operate under the unified name by 2023, including MARTA and GRTA

• Counties included: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale

o Each county in The ATL’s footprint will have the option to hold 30-year T-SPLOST referendums to create special sales taxes of up to 1 percent to fund transit projects in their county that were identified in the regional transit plan

o “Importantly, the regional transit legislation provides flexibility and autonomy for member counties, who must “opt in” to any specific project or funding mechanism"

• House Bill 930 also provides a hundred million dollars to expand transit: "Georgia’s 2019 state budget will include $100 million to fund statewide transit projects". This appears to be over 10 years, and is only a $25m increase versus the prior budget year commitment to transit

• “House Bill 930 creates a seamless, unified transit governance and funding structure across metro Atlanta..." - Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville (The implications of this need to be investigated further)

Citizens of metro ATL need to be very leery of giving the state control over MARTA / The ATL purse strings.

Here in NYC, New York State controls the MTA and has choked the system for decades, siphoning off money raised by and meant for NYC transit improvements into boondoggle projects upstate on the whim of myopic state house reps in Albany. ATL should prepare for the same, watch your transit dollars flow to random dam reclamation projects in southwest GA.

As for Gwinnett putting MARTA expansion up for vote in March, they're intentionally setting it up to fail. These things should have happened in Gwinett and Cobb well over a decade ago. It's pathetic and a sign of people's inability to see more than a few months into their own future.

 

[cfbfan23]

Citizens of metro ATL need to be very leery of giving the state control over MARTA / The ATL purse strings.

Here in NYC, New York State controls the MTA and has choked the system for decades, siphoning off money raised by and meant for NYC transit improvements into boondoggle projects upstate on the whim of myopic state house reps in Albany. ATL should prepare for the same, watch your transit dollars flow to random dam reclamation projects in southwest GA.

As for Gwinnett putting MARTA expansion up for vote in March, they're intentionally setting it up to fail. These things should have happened in Gwinett and Cobb well over a decade ago. It's pathetic and a sign of people's inability to see more than a few months into their own future.

I agree with you regarding being very leery of State control.........but I'm even more leery of politicians in City Hall when BIG money is at stake.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

I agree with you regarding being very leery of State control.........but I'm even more leery of politicians in City Hall when BIG money is at stake.

So then who do we trust to steward something that is becoming (or has long been) a necessity for the area?
The average voter can't be asked to opine on every transit decision, down to the engineering. Hell, they struggle to even make obvious choices.

 

[cfbfan23]

So then who do we trust to steward something that is becoming (or has long been) a necessity for the area?
The average voter can't be asked to opine on every transit decision, down to the engineering. Hell, they struggle to even make obvious choices.

It's a very good question. I don't think there's a right answer. This should have been handled decades ago. The possibility of corruption was still there, but there was a lot less money at stake. I'm in favor of the least corruption.....just not sure which plan offers it.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

It's a very good question. I don't think there's a right answer. This should have been handled decades ago. The possibility of corruption was still there, but there was a lot less money at stake. I'm in favor of the least corruption.....just not sure which plan offers it.

Seems it'd make sense to create a commission with proportionate representation based on number of riders expected from each county MARTA touches. Folks from south GA don't need any say in this, they'll inevitably do something stupid.

 

[OrlandNole]

Seems it'd make sense to create a commission with proportionate representation based on number of riders expected from each county MARTA touches. Folks from south GA don't need any say in this, they'll inevitably do something stupid.

That's essentially what transit agency boards are.

GRTA is a state agency that has done relatively well.

 

[seminoledq]

Colorado never really had a chance because of the lack of public transportation. Some people here were all excited when we were in the running but it ain't happening.

 

[cfbfan23]

I think Denver is a viable option, but I think it might not make sense to Amazon, geographically. I'm guessing they want to be further east.

 

[TripTych]

TT - can you share this announcement ? Not doubting you, just haven't come across it or looked for it, and I'm interested. Thx.

Sorry, they couldn't get additional sourcing to confirm, so for now I have to keep quiet. Hopefully it will become public soon. My apologies.