You got it! I was being facetious. Amazon locating to OKC would basically make almost every OKCTalker’s dream come true. Expansive transit system, vibrant core, huge boom to the economy, direct flights to tons of new cities, etc.

Perhaps Catch22’s comment was sarcasm and I missed it. But this would be amazing if OKC got it and it is possible. OKC is great for Amazon because they have a blank canvas basically. It could happen.
Thanks for clarifying. Your intent wasn't clear to me.

Thanks for clarifying. Your intent wasn't clear to me.

Yes lol. I love OKC. I think the city has a great chance.

Perhaps Catch22’s comment was sarcasm and I missed it. But this would be amazing if OKC got it and it is possible. OKC is great for Amazon because they have a blank canvas basically. It could happen.

Catch22 has lived in two of the popular "Millennial" hotspots in this country, Portland and Denver. While there are many things to like about them, he may not want to see OKC become that type of city. That's exactly what will happen if Amazon was to choose OKC for it's second HQ.

No amount of reasonable cons would outweigh the positives of OKC landing HQ2. It would change the city and state forever. Think of the psychological and quantifiable contributions Devon gave OKC when they decided against a Houston move and also built that iconic tower. Amazon HQ2 would dwarf those Devon contributions we experienced, many times over.

For anyone that is having a hard time grasping the magnitude of HQ2, all you have to do is read some of the city's proposals. There is some bids topping over $7 billion in tax incentives and committing entire city staffed teams that would accommodate Amazon's needs.


I wish OKC owned the Producers Coop to gift to Amazon, but I am sure they won't mind taking the Cox block directly across from our future transit hub :).

Think about all of the free bananas we would get if HQ2 was here.........lol

Side question - Is Amazon Flex in the OKC area?

I've been living in Denver for a while and my roommates do a side-gig with Flex, where they pickup packages from a specified location and deliver them with their own vehicle. I thought it might be cool for my sis at home, but can't seem to find any info? ��

There is a list here:
https://flex.amazon.com/about

OKC isn't on it.

There's an Amazon Locker in Whole Foods. Too far away to work for me but might work for some people with off hours needs.

https://www.amazon.com/b?node=6442600011

Several entities have revealed what they are offering Amazon. Has there been any discussion as to what OKC/Tulsa offered?

Side question - Is Amazon Flex in the OKC area?

I've been living in Denver for a while and my roommates do a side-gig with Flex, where they pickup packages from a specified location and deliver them with their own vehicle. I thought it might be cool for my sis at home, but can't seem to find any info? ��

Maybe she can look into Doordash--another delivery service that uses private vehicles.

Maybe she can look into Doordash--another delivery service that uses private vehicles.
Postmates as well.

Several entities have revealed what they are offering Amazon. Has there been any discussion as to what OKC/Tulsa offered?

In a Lackmeyer chat, someone from the city said that the proposal could be recycled for other companies, and the public should not expect to see it.

In a Lackmeyer chat, someone from the city said that the proposal could be recycled for other companies, and the public should not expect to see it.

This is the Alliance shield they put up from time to time.

But it's only good for one year after which they have to respond to open records requests.

This is the Alliance shield they put up from time to time.

But it's only good for one year after which they have to respond to open records requests.

So you'd rather them expose what could be competitive info another city could see and take into consideration when another relocation is happening?

I'm guessing because we now have a fullfillment center I'm getting free one day delivery on many Prime items now? It's pretty awesome! Got most of my Christmas shopping done in one hour online.

So you'd rather them expose what could be competitive info another city could see and take into consideration when another relocation is happening?

So you'd rather them conduct city business behind closed doors, never answerable to the public which they 'serve'?

So you'd rather them conduct city business behind closed doors, never answerable to the public which they 'serve'?

The answer lies somewhere in the middle, but usually you don't want an uneducated public (chill Pete, I'm not including you here lol) with that info because most don't know what it means or how it process it. Much like a former coworker who whined about building the whitewater facility when our schools are failing.

Basically, people live only in black and white these days, ignoring the gray areas and the nuance of these and other complex situations.

So you'd rather them expose what could be competitive info another city could see and take into consideration when another relocation is happening?

I didn’t say that at all.

But there is much the Alliance does with tax money the public should know about, at least eventually

I didn’t say that at all.

But there is much the Alliance does with tax money the public should know about, at least eventually

Fair enough. In this instance (Amazon) I don't think any of the incentive packages I've seen or heard are worth it

The answer lies somewhere in the middle, but usually you don't want an uneducated public (chill Pete, I'm not including you here lol) with that info because most don't know what it means or how it process it. Much like a former coworker who whined about building the whitewater facility when our schools are failing.

Isn't this like being "sorta pregnant"? Either the public is kept in the dark or the public is informed. While I understand your concerns about many not knowing what it means or how to process it, shouldn't the concerns and responsibility fall on those who are committing tax payer funds to educate those who pay?

Fair enough. In this instance (Amazon) I don't think any of the incentive packages I've seen or heard are worth it

Worth what?

Worth what?

The title of this thread is Amazon right?

Too all thoae that had responded to my question: Thank you for all the information!

The title of this thread is Amazon right?

Sorry, misread what you posted.

The answer lies somewhere in the middle, but usually you don't want an uneducated public (chill Pete, I'm not including you here lol) with that info because most don't know what it means or how it process it. Much like a former coworker who whined about building the whitewater facility when our schools are failing.

I believe you are correct, the answer would be somewhere in the middle.

Example: The records being available after a year, as Pete posted.

^^^ Agree with your sentiments. There has to be a way for the taxpayers to know what the pols are offering to companies in the way of incentives. It is not good practice to shield those in positions of power from accountability. I also understand the concept of competitive edge.

Corporate welfare is a hot and controversial topic and its important for people to understand how all this works.

You got it! I was being facetious. Amazon locating to OKC would basically make almost every OKCTalker’s dream come true. Expansive transit system, vibrant core, huge boom to the economy, direct flights to tons of new cities, etc.

Perhaps Catch22’s comment was sarcasm and I missed it. But this would be amazing if OKC got it and it is possible. OKC is great for Amazon because they have a blank canvas basically. It could happen.

I see two things as a dealbreaker though. The state government and the labor pool. I thought I remember reading somewhere the 50k employees they want to hire will be over a 10 year period. So that can be overcome. But hopefully the state government changes and becomes more progressive.

Sure it would be great to have all of those things, but even a 10-year horizon for all of those jobs means crippling growth and a housing crunch.

OKC is simply not able to accommodate the up front infrastructure investments to support that many people at one time. It's taken 10 years to go from voting to laying streetcar rail, it just takes time to plan and implemented these things.

as bchris mentioned, I have lived in two very fast growing cities and it sucks when infrastructure cannot keep up with growth.

Is it to all go up at once or is it a long term plan?

Sure it would be great to have all of those things, but even a 10-year horizon for all of those jobs means crippling growth and a housing crunch.

OKC is simply not able to accommodate the up front infrastructure investments to support that many people at one time. It's taken 10 years to go from voting to laying streetcar rail, it just takes time to plan and implemented these things.

as bchris mentioned, I have lived in two very fast growing cities and it sucks when infrastructure cannot keep up with growth.

Which specific aspects of infrastructure would you be most worried about OKC keeping up in as it pertains to this very hypothetical scenario?

Which specific aspects of infrastructure would you be most worried about OKC keeping up in as it pertains to this very hypothetical scenario?

Transit and roadways. My other concern would be the relatively sudden increase of people drawing from our water supply.

Transit and roadways. My other concern would be the relatively sudden increase of people drawing from our water supply.
I can’t soeak for the water but all large cities have traffic and crowding problems. It just gets hard to move millions of people at once no matter how it’s done. This thing is inevitable for OKC to avoid.

Transit and roadways. My other concern would be the relatively sudden increase of people drawing from our water supply.

I just don't see Amazon moving here and bringing somewhere around 150k-200k more people (50k jobs+families+addl industry+normal growth) having some catastrophic result on our infrastructure. I mean, it does depend on where they would choose to locate, but anywhere they decided would obviously increase congestion in that area and certainly increased housing, but I don't think it would be to the degree that Portland and Denver have experienced due to geography.

That being said, we all know this is not happening...I just think the thought experiment of OKC growing rapidly should help us to see that while normally our crap geography and huge sprawl is usually a negative, I think it would allow for us to integrate a large influx far more seamlessly than many cities.

I see Amazon HQ2 on the Atlantic southeast in an area with a metro of 2 million or more like Atlanta, Charlotte or Miami. Similar to the DisneyLand to DisneyWorld model. These cities have the potential to attract professional to the area that could fill the needs of Amazon.

Personally, I hope that doesn't happen because Oklahoma City does have a lot to offer.

I just don't see Amazon moving here and bringing somewhere around 150k-200k more people (50k jobs+families+addl industry+normal growth) having some catastrophic result on our infrastructure. I mean, it does depend on where they would choose to locate, but anywhere they decided would obviously increase congestion in that area and certainly increased housing, but I don't think it would be to the degree that Portland and Denver have experienced due to geography.

That being said, we all know this is not happening...I just think the thought experiment of OKC growing rapidly should help us to see that while normally our crap geography and huge sprawl is usually a negative, I think it would allow for us to integrate a large influx far more seamlessly than many cities.

A 15-20% gain directly attributed to Amazon would put a massive strain on resources, add in our already steady gain, and then say another 5% indirect gain from the increase in businesses to support the Amazon growth and you are talking about a lot of people to support over a short period of time.

A 15-20% gain directly attributed to Amazon would put a massive strain on resources, add in our already steady gain, and then say another 5% indirect gain from the increase in businesses to support the Amazon growth and you are talking about a lot of people to support over a short period of time.

It is a lot of people over a short period of time. There would certainly be an initial pinch as developers try to get the housing situation in order, and it would probably immediately raise all real estate prices in Top 30 percentile areas by a noticeable amount, putting a squeeze on some locals who are stretching to get into desirable areas.

I think the water argument is honestly the best one. Outside of that, I think that traffic would work itself out, because I don't think any corporate relocation of 10,000+ EEs would end up in downtown. If I had to guess, it would end up in far NW OKC or maybe NE OKC East of 235 but south of the turnpike.

I see Amazon HQ2 on the Atlantic southeast in an area with a metro of 2 million or more like Atlanta, Charlotte or Miami. Similar to the DisneyLand to DisneyWorld model. These cities have the potential to attract professional to the area that could fill the needs of Amazon.

Personally, I hope that doesn't happen because Oklahoma City does have a lot to offer.

I'm not exactly a huge climate change guy, but I can see plenty of arguments against places like Miami and Atlanta (including some based, in part, on climate change).

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2017/12/11/atlanta-sinks-on-huffington-posts-amazon-hq2.html

Interesting Article: Amazon wants a key to your house. I did it. I regretted it (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/12/07/amazon-wants-a-key-to-your-house-i-did-it-i-regretted-it/?utm_term=.1dd91a2367bb).

Never considered signing up for Amazon's lock and camera aided delivery service. Don't need me or the wife to be popping out of the shower, scurrying across the tile to the laundry room for some clothes and run into the Amazon delivery guy.

I also really like our keypad locks we already have. They alert me when a code is entered and the door is opened and I can control them remotely. Never had a problem with my packages on the porch. Like the author, I don't like being locked into only one companies services.

No surprise OKC didn't make the short list . The 20 potential locations include Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Montgomery County in Maryland, Nashville, Newark, New York City, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Toronto and Washington D.C.

I’m shocked.

I hope a Dallas gets it though.

Interesting Article: Amazon wants a key to your house. I did it. I regretted it (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/12/07/amazon-wants-a-key-to-your-house-i-did-it-i-regretted-it/?utm_term=.1dd91a2367bb).

Never considered signing up for Amazon's lock and camera aided delivery service. Don't need me or the wife to be popping out of the shower, scurrying across the tile to the laundry room for some clothes and run into the Amazon delivery guy.

I also really like our keypad locks we already have. They alert me when a code is entered and the door is opened and I can control them remotely. Never had a problem with my packages on the porch. Like the author, I don't like being locked into only one companies services.

I have a friend whose UPS driver would regularly walk around back to drop off packages on the back porch. Where she has big, clear, glass, double doors. That ended a few weeks ago when she was running from the shower to the laundry room to grab a towel. I'm not sure who was more embarrassed.

Nashville and Raleigh?!

Ugh, I thought we would maybe have a shot @ this list. Oh well, my guess is they still go with Chicago because that proposal was insane.

D.C. is essentially on the list 3 times, so good odds right?

Nashville sort of makes sense. Iirc UPS has a major hub there, plus there's a train that runs to and from Memphis and can make use of the port there.

Nashville and Raleigh?!

Ugh, I thought we would maybe have a shot @ this list. Oh well, my guess is they still go with Chicago because that proposal was insane.

Our educational system is a huge weight around our neck, especially for companies like Amazon.

The demise of the cities to the north of the Mason Dixon line has been put to bed.

Our educational system is a huge weight around our neck, especially for companies like Amazon.

I doubt our education system caused us to lose warehouse jobs. If anything, you need a large number of people willing to work warehouse jobs, hence non-college graduates.

I doubt our education system caused us to lose warehouse jobs. If anything, you need a large number of people willing to work warehouse jobs, hence non-college graduates.

I can't tell if this is a serious reply or not. But whatever, I will bite. You do know that this Amazon venture has nothing to do with warehouses, right?

I doubt our education system caused us to lose warehouse jobs. If anything, you need a large number of people willing to work warehouse jobs, hence non-college graduates.


http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/27/technology/amazon-hq2-housing-costs-seattle/index.html


The expected 50,000 jobs the new headquarters will bring is impressive in and of itself. The fact that they will pay well makes the opportunity even more attractive.

"People often just count the number of jobs, but not the quality. ... These are high-quality, high-paying jobs. That is a huge benefit," said Nathan Jensen, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

As a result, the new facility would bring more highly-skilled workers to town. Some Amazon employees could eventually leave the company and start their own businesses in the city, according to Ravi Madhavan, a professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh.

I think the cities more to the east will have an advantage. It gives them a bigger base of talent to choose from.

Las Angeles? It can't be that hard to get people to move from LA up to Seattle.

Even if we did have a better educational system, we would still struggle to attract them based on demographics.

14 of the 20 are in the Eastern time zone. 3 of the 20 are in the Washington DC metro. My bets are either Boston, DC or Atlanta.

I guarantee you their primary criteria is access to a large, skilled labor force and universities that produce top-notch tech talent.

I guarantee you their primary criteria is access to a large, skilled labor force and universities that produce top-notch tech talent.

That sounds like Boston to me, Pete. MIT, Harvard, etc. Brown and Dartmouth also within close proximity to Boston.

I guarantee you their primary criteria is access to a large, skilled labor force and universities that produce top-notch tech talent.

Right, and I don't think Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia or Tennessee can produce enough. Its most likely going to be east coast.

Raleigh is interesting because of Duke, North Carolina and NC State and those schools are directly responsible for what is known as the Research Triangle.

seems like Chicago is the winner.

Here is a link to Amazon's site on the 20. I am feeling Denver.
https://www.amazon.com/b?node=17044620011

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amazonhq.jpg

I can't tell if this is a serious reply or not. But whatever, I will bite. You do know that this Amazon venture has nothing to do with warehouses, right?

They are adding 50,000 jobs, and all of them are high paying administrative? That's amazing.