urbanSTL

dredger wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

ldai_phs wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

imperialmog wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

There is a lot of pressure for Amazon to pick places that pick certain political profiles which will eliminate most of the finalists due to the state legislators. That would likely make it only DC, NYC, Boston, and Toronto at that point.

A Toronto HQ would buy them exactly 0 house or senate seats. won't happen

DC area would buy Virginia, Maryland, and be next to the capital. Bezos has a home in NYC, its one of the top choices for talent, and would get power over senate+house seats across from most of the states in the greater NYC Metro.

DC area gives close proximity to the single biggest buyer of consumable goods, parts, supplies and drugs in the county. The place that buys everything from Boeing fighter jets to WWT IT services to toilet paper for the Arch Ground restrooms. To me that is the biggest draw of being in the DC area.

Basically the same they technically put the defense division HQ of Boeing to DC, to be near the movers and shakers. Also this is about fending off likely future antitrust issues.

Toronto would be more about protesting against US policies in various arenas and against Trump in particular. It would also be a possible tax related reason.

imperialmog wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

dredger wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

ldai_phs wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

A Toronto HQ would buy them exactly 0 house or senate seats. won't happen

DC area would buy Virginia, Maryland, and be next to the capital. Bezos has a home in NYC, its one of the top choices for talent, and would get power over senate+house seats across from most of the states in the greater NYC Metro.

DC area gives close proximity to the single biggest buyer of consumable goods, parts, supplies and drugs in the county. The place that buys everything from Boeing fighter jets to WWT IT services to toilet paper for the Arch Ground restrooms. To me that is the biggest draw of being in the DC area.

Basically the same they technically put the defense division HQ of Boeing to DC, to be near the movers and shakers. Also this is about fending off likely future antitrust issues.

Toronto would be more about protesting against US policies in various arenas and against Trump in particular. It would also be a possible tax related reason.

There have been a lot of leaks and rumors that all point to DC.

imperialmog wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

There is a lot of pressure for Amazon to pick places that pick certain political profiles which will eliminate most of the finalists due to the state legislators. That would likely make it only DC, NYC, Boston, and Toronto at that point.

At one point—and I forget where I read this, maybe here—it was said that Bezos wanted to turn a state blue. I question whether that's really the case given the finalists, though. St. Louis would have been an ideal spot if that was a major goal.

jstriebel wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

imperialmog wrote: ↑

Mar 01, 2018

There is a lot of pressure for Amazon to pick places that pick certain political profiles which will eliminate most of the finalists due to the state legislators. That would likely make it only DC, NYC, Boston, and Toronto at that point.

At one point—and I forget where I read this, maybe here—it was said that Bezos wanted to turn a state blue. I question whether that's really the case given the finalists, though. St. Louis would have been an ideal spot if that was a major goal.

If that was the case then they would likely target Atlanta due to longterm political and demographic trends. But the whole Georgia Legislature doing what they did to Delta would give them pause.

Amazon Fulfillment center to create 1500 jobs in St. Peters. Not 50K jobs, but we'll take it.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ ... f0077.html

Wonder what the net new jobs will be.

Subsidies/incentives?

I would have rather of had this on the northside or MetroEast within the 255 ring.


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bwcrow1s wrote: ↑

Mar 07, 2018

Subsidies/incentives?

$2.6M in road work. Cuz we don't have enough roads we've already paid for.
Not sure what else. Steve Ehlmann was on KMOX this morning, check that out.

DogtownBnR wrote: ↑

Mar 07, 2018

Amazon Fulfillment center to create 1500 jobs in St. Peters. Not 50K jobs, but we'll take it.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ ... f0077.html

The Super Duper Big Box Store. Just more efficient to ship the stuff direct from a huge warehouse to the buyer then build many more stores with big parking lots for the buyers to come pick up the stuff.

In terms of retail, I do wonder when Walmart and Target will make a move to shut a significant number of big box stores

dredger wrote: ↑

Mar 07, 2018

DogtownBnR wrote: ↑

Mar 07, 2018

Amazon Fulfillment center to create 1500 jobs in St. Peters. Not 50K jobs, but we'll take it.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ ... f0077.html

The Super Duper Big Box Store. Just more efficient to ship the stuff direct from a huge warehouse to the buyer then build many more stores with big parking lots for the buyers to come pick up the stuff.

In terms of retail, I do wonder when Walmart and Target will make a move to shut a significant number of big box stores

Probably shortly after they figure out how to make grocery shopping, clothes shopping and impulse shopping easier for consumers.

^ It think they got impulse shopping down with same day delivery, Clothes can't be too far behind as my wife shops for our sons clothes strictly online. Groceries it tough nut to crack as we have used online services with mixed results for perishables. But their so much competition in grocery that Amazon just decided to buy the stores in Whole Foods anyways

I won't purchase clothes without trying them on first just due to the headache of having to ship things back, wait for a different size, or having to take them to a tailor. If there's one thing that should be able to weather Amazon it should be clothing retail. Unless all of America just desires poorly fitting clothing.

bwcrow1s wrote: ↑

Mar 07, 2018

I won't purchase clothes without trying them on first just due to the headache of having to ship things back, wait for a different size, or having to take them to a tailor. If there's one thing that should be able to weather Amazon it should be clothing retail. Unless all of America just desires poorly fitting clothing.

I don't mind buying clothing online at all from brands I trust who's sizing I have a feel for. Gap for example.

However, buying from suppliers on Amazon is a lot riskier. They're usually brands you've never heard of, who's sizes you've never tried, and who's quality is questionable. I have bought clothes on Amazon to mixed results, but it's definitely not their strong suit.

^ I never understood why our ecodevo team laud these fulfillment centers as some kind of special achievement (the Edwardsville ones during the HQ2 battle "they know us well" and then the St. Chuck's one) when everybody and their uncle has them. Ever-rapacious Amazon needs to get its goods out so they're building more and more.

One of the more interesting locations I've seen is in Cleveland metro in the long-struggling Euclid Mall... somewhat akin to if one would have gone to NW Plaza before its revamp. Maybe the depleted industrial area around 70 & Wells-Goodfellow could be an ideal distribution center that is more proximate to an urban population providing a needed source of employment.

According to a talk given by Sheila, one of the reasons Amazon did not choose STL was due to our lack of a blueprint for talent.

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... louis.html

I find this very interesting. Note that does not say lack of talent....just a lack of a blueprint for talent.

It's part of STL's perception problem. I've heard from several people that do business in STL but live elsewhere, that companies here have a really hard time recruiting talent, most recently and foremost NGA.
We need to find a middle ground where people don't keep walking around saying "why would you move to St. Louis?" but also understand that people pass up on really good jobs here because they don't want to live here. And then there are those that do walk around singing the praises of STL but then talk sh*t on it (unwarranted) in the same sentence.

MRNHS wrote: ↑

Apr 05, 2018

According to a talk given by Sheila, one of the reasons Amazon did not choose STL was due to our lack of a blueprint for talent.

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... louis.html

I find this very interesting. Note that does not say lack of talent....just a lack of a blueprint for talent.

That is precisely the reason I thought St Louis did not have much of a chance to start with. Several companies my employer works with keep complaining that they have a significant shortage of qualified workers, it's really hard to attract them to St Louis and there is very little effort by local policymakers devoted to this problem (arguably the city/region has other more pressing issues). The talent exists mostly due to WashU but not in significant amounts (and much of it leaves after graduation).

Here's my question about the supposed talent shortage. Who are these local companies that say they can't find it? Where are they located? What types of salaries and benefits (both insurance wise and work environment wise) are they offering?

I absolutely could be wrong. But I have a feeling that companies in STL complaining about being able to attract talent from the existing regional talent pool as well as national are not making very enticing offers to said talent.

I'm not saying there aren't other reasons they can't find talent, but I don't see much in our business community to make me believe these places are offering what it takes either.

Told you so

quincunx wrote: ↑

Sep 08, 2017

Think MO's low support for its state universities will be a liability? We'd need a lot more college grads to feed Amazon.

quincunx wrote:What does this mean?

From the BND artcile
"Employers also said lack of transportation access is a barrier to expansion."

Not a hub airport?


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jstriebel wrote: ↑

Apr 05, 2018

Here's my question about the supposed talent shortage. Who are these local companies that say they can't find it? Where are they located? What types of salaries and benefits (both insurance wise and work environment wise) are they offering?

I absolutely could be wrong. But I have a feeling that companies in STL complaining about being able to attract talent from the existing regional talent pool as well as national are not making very enticing offers to said talent.

I'm not saying there aren't other reasons they can't find talent, but I don't see much in our business community to make me believe these places are offering what it takes either.

Of course this is part of the story, but this is just a manifestation of the "bad equilibrium" the region is stuck in: the only way to convince current regional employers to offer more enticing terms would be for other employers in the region (i.e. competing in the same labor market) to make more enticing offers. But (and this is the more aggravating problem) the fact is that the employers that are able to attract and retain talent have no interest whatsoever in relocating to St Louis.