Curbed Seattle - Amazon HQ2Love where you live2019-02-27T12:41:36-08:00http://seattle.curbed.com/rss/stream/162260212019-02-27T12:41:36-08:002019-02-27T12:41:36-08:00Amazon abandons plans for Rainier Tower office space
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<figcaption>Alyssa Nassner</figcaption>
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<p>The long-rumored decision follows questions about Amazon’s future in Seattle</p> <p id="LzadWU">Back in 2017, Amazon <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/3/16414892/amazon-leases-rainier-square-tower">announced</a> it would be leasing all the office space in the new Rainier Square tower, set to be Seattle’s second-tallest skyscraper when complete. The 722,000 square feet would have had room for at least 3,500 employees. Wednesday, Amazon confirmed it wouldn’t be moving into the building after all after Geekwire <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/amazon-backs-massive-seattle-office-tower-questions-swirl-growth-plans/">obtained a marketing flyer</a> for the space—confirming months of rumors surrounding the property.</p>
<p id="vBrLA6">Amazon had already threatened to pull out of the building last year as the city closed in on passing the Employee Hours Tax—better-known as the <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/6/11/17451276/seattle-head-tax-employee-hours">“head tax”</a>—designed to tax giant businesses like Amazon to raise money for affordable housing and homelessness programs. The company, in addition to <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/5/2/17312340/amazon-head-tax-construction-halt">halting a major construction process</a> just north of downtown, threatened to back out of the <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/building/rainier-tower">Rainier Tower</a> lease.</p>
<p id="LUV7NY">Ultimately, the City Council would pass a <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/5/14/17354036/seattle-head-tax-amazon-passed">watered-down version of the tax</a> before <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/6/12/17454908/seattle-city-council-business-tax-repeal">repealing the tax altogether</a>. For a second, it looked like Amazon was <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2018/11/13/amazon-rainier-square-seattle-tower-sublease-hq2.html">all set to stay in Rainier Tower</a>, but earlier this year rumors started coming out that it’d be <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/01/28/source-amazon-will-market-rainier-square-tower-for.html">subleasing that space</a> after all.</p>
<p id="OBSlfb">The decision also comes soon after Amazon <a href="https://ny.curbed.com/2019/2/14/18224997/amazon-hq2-new-york-city-canceled">scrapped plans for half of a second headquarters in New York City</a>—and a <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/2/14/18225497/amazon-stops-seattle-growth-hq2">statement that implied</a> it would not be expanding its Seattle presence after it finishes its current construction, something the company would later walk back.</p>
<p id="XDvbDG">“We are currently building 2 million square feet of office space in our South Lake Union campus in Seattle,” said Amazon spokesperson in a statement. “We are always evaluating our space requirements and intend to sublease [Rainier] Square based on current plans. We have more than 9,000 open roles in Seattle and will continue to evaluate future growth.”</p>
<p id="CvJ87r">When that 2 million square feet is done, its Seattle campus will total 14 million square feet. More than <a href="https://blog.aboutamazon.com/job-creation-and-investment/45000-and-counting">45,000 Seattleites</a> are employed at Amazon, and an August 2017 <em>Seattle Times</em> report found that Amazon <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/thanks-to-amazon-seattle-is-now-americas-biggest-company-town/">takes up 19 percent of all prime office space</a> in the entire city.</p>
<p id="9N8upI">The Rainier Square building, which is currently underis currently under construction, features a unique swoop shape which some call similar to a <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/10/03/amazon-tenant-rainier-square-skyscraper.html?ana=e_sea_bn&u=12489610824ede3077a7967f9214d0&t=1507066783&j=78926861">champagne flute</a>, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/new-rainier-square-tower-gets-scooped/">shoe, or ice cream scoop</a>. It’s a nod to the iconic Minoru Yamasaki-designed Rainier Tower next door, which was built in 1977 and features a tapered base. It’s part of a Wright Runstad redevelopment of the entire block, save the original tower.</p>
<p id="uhhwJi">The 58-story tower, which will also include retail and residences, could open as soon as next year.</p>
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https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/2/27/18243505/amazon-rainier-tower-office-subleaseSarah Anne Lloyd2019-02-14T15:09:00-08:002019-02-14T15:09:00-08:00Amazon signals slowdown of Seattle growth as it gives up on New York [UPDATE]
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<figcaption>Illustration by Alyssa Nassner</figcaption>
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<p>The company will grow its satellite offices</p> <p id="EnvRSg"><strong>Update, 9:20 p.m.:</strong> Late Thursday, the Amazon spokesperson who had declared a finite size for the Seattle campus <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-puts-cap-on-growth-in-seattle-canceled-new-york-jobs-will-likely-go-elsewhere/?utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BNA_021419195900+BREAKING%3a+Amazon+says+it+will+stop+expanding+in+Seattle_2_14_2019&utm_term=">told the <em>Seattle Times</em></a> that they misspoke.</p>
<p id="hlNTtZ">“We currently have more than 9,000 open roles in Seattle and will continue to evaluate future growth,” Amazon said in a statement to the <em>Times</em>.</p>
<p id="xf6Grf">A spokesperson has not returned a request for comment.</p>
<p id="o7BIC2"><em>Original article</em>:</p>
<p id="TG39KS">It’s a reminder that Amazon has not been solely based in Seattle for a long time: Right after <a href="https://ny.curbed.com/2019/2/14/18224997/amazon-hq2-new-york-city-canceled">scrapping plans for half of a second headquarters in New York City</a>, Amazon announced it would not be expanding its Seattle presence after it finishes its current construction, the <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-puts-cap-on-growth-in-seattle-canceled-new-york-jobs-will-likely-go-elsewhere/?utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BNA_021419195900+BREAKING%3a+Amazon+says+it+will+stop+expanding+in+Seattle_2_14_2019&utm_term="><em>Seattle Times</em> first reported this morning</a>. The company won’t be seeking new offices to absorb the estimated 25,000 jobs it had planned for New York or any growth Seattle would have shouldered. Rather, Amazon will distribute those jobs amidst <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-has-been-looking-outside-seattle-to-add-jobs-for-years-and-now-trend-is-accelerating/">satellite offices it already has</a>, those that didn’t get any HQ2-like fanfare: a pre-existing New York presence, as well as Boston, the Bay Area, Vancouver, BC, and others. While Amazon may have <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/2/11/18220973/jeff-bezos-amazon-garage-bellevue">started in a Bellevue garage</a>, it’s been bigger than Seattle for quite some time.</p>
<p id="SZgUVk">The company still has a lot of growing to finish up before it stops, though—and it’s not like the retail giant is about to shrink. Planned construction, noted the <em>Times</em>, is still set to add 2 million square feet to its campus, for a total of 14 million square feet. </p>
<p id="LzadWU">Amazon had already threatened to halt expansion in Seattle last year as the city closed in on passing the Employee Hours Tax—better-known as the <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/6/11/17451276/seattle-head-tax-employee-hours">“head tax”</a>—designed to tax giant businesses like Amazon to raise money for affordable housing and homelessness programs. The company <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/5/2/17312340/amazon-head-tax-construction-halt">halted a major construction process</a> just north of downtown and announced it was looking into ways to sublease its <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/3/16414892/amazon-leases-rainier-square-tower">722,000 square feet office space</a> in the under-construction <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/building/rainier-tower">Rainier Tower</a> building.</p>
<p id="88Phw4">Construction <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/5/15/17356298/amazon-head-tax-expansion-construction">resumed</a> after the Seattle City Council <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/5/14/17354036/seattle-head-tax-amazon-passed">passed a watered-down version of the tax</a> instead. The council would ultimately <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/6/12/17454908/seattle-city-council-business-tax-repeal">repeal the tax after public pressure</a>, despite <a href="https://twitter.com/ag_radley/status/1006729532357926912?lang=en">outcry</a> in support of the tax in <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/06/how-amazon-helped-kill-a-seattle-tax-on-business/562736/">about equal measure</a>. While it looked like Amazon was <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2018/11/13/amazon-rainier-square-seattle-tower-sublease-hq2.html">all set to stay in Rainier Tower</a>, recent reports have surfaced that after all the hullabaloo, they might be <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/01/28/source-amazon-will-market-rainier-square-tower-for.html">subleasing that space</a> after all. (A spokesperson for Amazon did not immediately return a request for comment.)</p>
<p id="vVD0Mj">But it’s not like a cap on growth would make Seattle any less of a company town. More than <a href="https://blog.aboutamazon.com/job-creation-and-investment/45000-and-counting">45,000 Seattleites</a> are employed at Amazon. An August 2017 <em>Seattle Times</em> report found that Amazon <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/thanks-to-amazon-seattle-is-now-americas-biggest-company-town/">takes up 19 percent of all prime office space</a> in the entire city—and it’s been making its mark on Seattle for a long time. According to data from Zillow, home values have gone up have up 83 percent and rents have increased by 47 percent since Amazon moved into their South Lake Union headquarters in 2010. While every generation of Seattle renters are <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/8/22/16181250/seattle-generation-cost-burden-millennials">highly rent-burdened</a>, according to one report, another report says <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/3/16/14942904/seattle-tech-workers-disposable-income">tech workers in Seattle spend less of their income on housing than anywhere else</a>.</p>
https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/2/14/18225497/amazon-stops-seattle-growth-hq2Sarah Anne Lloyd2018-01-18T10:16:12-08:002018-01-18T10:16:12-08:00Seattle area out of the running for Amazon HQ2
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<p>Los Angeles is the only city on the West Coast</p> <p id="8jQDhc">Even if Amazon did <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461450/amazon-hq2-northwest-location-statement">“give serious consideration”</a> to Northwest cities bidding for a shot at the retail giant’s second headquarters, known as HQ2, it still passed. The company released a list of 20 cities that its considering setting up shop in, and <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2018/1/18/16905196/amazon-headquarters-hq2-finalists">none of the Seattle-area bids made the cut</a>.</p>
<p id="GPVFQl">Although Amazon already has their HQ1 here, city leaders had implored the company to <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/16/16486366/amazon-seattle-city-council-letter">“stay with us and grow with us.”</a> Area bids pitched that Amazon could expand by setting up a nearby second home. One bid in Tacoma pointed out <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">multiple empty land parcels downtown</a>—while still adjacent to Amazon’s existing home. A regional bid from King and Snohomish Counties, given a stamp of approval from the City of Seattle, <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/20/16511834/amazon-hq2-puget-sound-proposal">outlined 10 potential sites</a> in the greater metro. One of those sites is Tulalip tribal land, also outlined <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/19/16504346/tulalip-tribes-amazon-hq2-bid">in the tribe’s own bid</a>.</p>
<p id="0SfwTI">Amazon ultimately decided to put a little more distance from its hometown, which isn’t the biggest surprise. Most area bids were missing a key ingredient: a different talent pool.</p>
<p id="Mg9W9z">Municipalities still in the running are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Montgomery County in Maryland, Nashville, Newark, New York, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Toronto, and the other Washington.</p>
<p id="m8QyEj">That doesn’t mean they’re packing up and leaving anytime soon. The second headquarters “will be a full equal to our current campus in Seattle,” <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516509&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fbrowse.html%2F%3Fnode%3D17044620011" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">read the original announcement</a>. But it could mean a slowdown on the company’s stronghold. The company currently <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/thanks-to-amazon-seattle-is-now-americas-biggest-company-town/">occupies 19 percent of Seattle’s prime business real estate</a>, and they’ve been <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/could-amazons-hq-bombshell-let-the-air-out-of-seattles-housing-and-development-boom/">frequently cited as a driving force behind Seattle’s rising housing costs</a>—or at least skyrocketing demand.</p>
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<a href="https://www.curbed.com/2018/1/18/16905196/amazon-headquarters-hq2-finalists">Amazon announces 20 finalists for new headquarters</a> [Curbed]</li></ul>
https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/1/18/16906020/seattle-washington-state-amazon-hq2Sarah Anne Lloyd2017-12-01T15:53:44-08:002017-12-01T15:53:44-08:00Seattle lawmakers ask Amazon to ‘stay with us and grow with us’—and Amazon responds
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<p>A letter invites Amazon to a joint task force, and Amazon agrees</p> <p id="zQoapf"><strong>Update, December 1: </strong>Amazon has responded to the October 13 letter, <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/12/01/amazon-sends-letter-to-seattle-washington.html?ana=e_du_prem&s=article_du&ed=2017-12-01&u=12489610824ede3077a7967f9214d0&t=1512171708&j=79271581">reports the <em>Puget Sound Business Journal</em></a>. In the company’s response, public policy director Brian Huseman “propose[s] next steps” to collaborating with lawmakers, starting with a roundtable discussion in January.</p>
<p id="grj8In">Amazon’s letter, addressed to the those that signed the October letter (plus newly minted mayor Jenny Durkan), said that Amazon recognizes its<em> </em>“unique position as the city’s largest private employer.”</p>
<p id="35biFX">Much of the letter is devoted to promoting Amazon’s role within the city. Huseman said Amazon’s “investment in Seattle” brought in $38 billion to Seattle’s economy. He also pointed to two philanthropic projects before suggesting the roundtable: the company’s much-publicized construction of a <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/5/10/15604566/marys-place-amazon-shelter-permanent-travelodge">permanent home to Mary’s Place,</a> and donated space for five Farestart restaurants in the <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/9/16449094/troy-block-south-lake-union-amazon-photos">Troy Block development</a>.</p>
<p id="Pyf8fj">“We welcome your offer to work more collaboratively,” wrote Huseman.</p>
<p id="bKxSxC"><em>Original article, October 16:</em></p>
<p id="WxoJ6h">In a letter addressed to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and real estate chief John Schoettler, a group of Seattle-area electeds has asked Amazon to stick around and grow with Seattle. It invites the company to “create a joint task force” to examine issues affecting the city, including transportation and education.</p>
<p id="nYCpPI">It acknowledges that “there are many reasons” for <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461980/amazon-hq2-search-bids">Amazon’s decision to look for a second city for their second headquarters</a>, known as HQ2. “To the extent that this decision was based on Amazon feeling unwelcome in Seattle, or not being included in some of our regional decisions,” the letter continues, “we would like to hit the refresh button.”</p>
<p id="eHDKBY">The letter, dated October 13, was signed by city councilors Sally Bagshaw, Bruce Harrell, Lisa Herbold, Lorena González, and Rob Johnson; Washington State legislators Judy Clibborn, Reuven Carlyle, Guy Palumbo, Jamie Pedersen, and Javier Valdez; King County councilors Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Joe McDermott; and Port of Seattle commissioners Tom Albro, Stephanie Bowman, John Creighton, and Courtney Gregoire.</p>
<p id="moiPR0">That’s only a thin majority of Seattle city councilors; Kshama Sawant, Mike O’Brien, Kirsten Harris-Talley, and Debra Juarez are all notably missing.</p>
<p id="kPxcOJ">Two groups in the Seattle metropolitan area are submitting bids for Amazon’s second headquarters: <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">Tacoma</a> and the south Sound, and a <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/10/16454210/king-snohomish-county-seattle-amazon-hq2">collaboration between King and Snohomish counties</a>.</p>
<p id="33TpNL">While the letter doesn’t call out either of these proposals specifically, it asks Amazon to “stay with us and grow with us, both in Seattle and with our sister cities across the state.”</p>
<p id="xNQc0l">They invite Amazon to come to the table on a “joint task force that will use data to drive results,” along with other businesses, education groups, labor, and nearby governments.</p>
<p id="4LYHIT">Among their suggestions: a “tactical group” including Metro, Sound Transit, the city and state Departments of Transportation, and others to identify infrastructure and transit solutions for Amazon commuters. A work group of South Lake Union residents and workers, Amazon security, and Seattle Police Department to address public safety. Amazon-led school curricula and internship programs “that open doors for Seattle children.” (The letter is also signed by leaders from Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Colleges.)</p>
<p id="NFYyb2">The letter also expresses a desire to work with Amazon to make sure that gig economy workers—those working under contract—are well taken care of, since they’re not protected by many current labor laws.</p>
<p id="7PlBp7">“These ideas are just the beginning,” the letter finishes. “We want to be your partners and reset the creative and economic environment in South Lake Union as well as for neighborhoods across our city and region.”</p>
<p id="7gWPrO">Amazon first announced that it’d be building a second headquarters that “will be a full equal” to the Seattle campus <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/8/16265758/amazon-second-headquarters-hq2-location">in early September</a>. Cities have until October 19—that’s this Thursday—to submit their bids.</p>
<ul><li id="boundary0">
<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/10/16/seattle-politicians-to-amazon-we-would-like-to-hit.html?ana=e_du_prem&s=article_du&ed=2017-10-16&u=12489610824ede3077a7967f9214d0&t=1508196168&j=79004851">Seattle politicians to Amazon: 'We would like to hit the refresh button'</a> [PSBJ]</li></ul>
https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/16/16486366/amazon-seattle-city-council-letterSarah Anne Lloyd2017-10-20T15:23:43-07:002017-10-20T15:23:43-07:00Here’s what’s in the Puget Sound regional proposal for Amazon HQ2
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<p>Incentives are broken down by 10 sites</p> <p id="mpnN3r">The deadline for Amazon HQ2 proposals has passed, and the greater Seattle area is in for three: One <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">from the Tacoma area</a>, <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/19/16504346/tulalip-tribes-amazon-hq2-bid">one from the Tulalip Tribes</a>, and a Seattle-backed regional proposal from King and Snohomish County. </p>
<p id="jWehvQ">That last proposal, while spearheaded by the counties, includes submissions from cities and towns throughout the region—and is structured like many proposals stitched together. As a whole, it notes cheaper downtown office space in the Puget Sound region than in many other areas and a high class A office space inventory. It maps out transit routes throughout the region. </p>
<p id="G33z3R">While the proposal doesn’t advocate expansion in Seattle proper, it uses Amazon’s history here to sell the greater Seattle area as a whole—going so far as to invite Amazon to “rediscover the Puget Sound” and even including the T.S. Eliot quote, "We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."</p>
<p id="MsMODq">It outlines tax credits and other incentives available in the state, <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/10/18/washington-state-tax-credits-amazon-headquarters.html">outlined by Governor Jay Inslee’s office earlier this week</a>. But for most of the more concrete appeals—shovel-ready sites, tax incentives—the proposal varies by location. It outlines 10 potential sites for Amazon HQ2, each with tax and permitting incentives specific to their local municipality:</p>
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<li id="3K4jFV">Arlington and Marysville Manufacturing Industrial Center “offers a greenfield opportunity for Amazon to creatively build to suit their needs.” There’s a property tax exemption for manufacturing at this site. This site gives a 24 month timeframe for permitting and review, a little longer than some of the others.</li>
<li id="eUYGOg">129 acres of federally-owned land for sale in Auburn. Incentives at this site include no B&O tax and a construction sale tax refund program. There was no timeline given for this site.</li>
<li id="b0O9Ts">A site on more than six acres in and near downtown Bellevue gives a timeframe of six to 12 months, and would come with zoning incentives. Another site in Bellevue Wilburton area is due for an upzone in 2018.</li>
<li id="bX5vl6">Canyon Park Business Center in Bothell could be approved in four months with expedited permit review. The proposal notes that Bothell doesn’t have a head tax or a B&O tax.</li>
<li id="iJAeZA">The 13-acre Everett Public Works site in Everett near Everett station promises a “business-friendly tax policy” with credits and exemptions.</li>
<li id="47XeXQ">Lakepointe in Kenmore, located right on on Lake Washington, could start construction in 2020.</li>
<li id="bVZrzL">a 19-acre site within Lynnwood City Center would go through an expedited zoning process, SEPA review, and plan review, and come with infrastructure tax impact fee credits.</li>
<li id="glB7O6">Southport in Renton “offers Amazon a unique opportunity to showcase virtually every aspect of your deep culture within your own corporate campus.” The project could be permitted and reviewed in 13 months, and would have local revitalization funding available, plus some business tax credits.</li>
<li id="57fqwd">Tukwila’s offering 225 acres, with three months to design and building permit approval with no public hearings. They’re also offering no B&O tax and no income tax.</li>
<li id="WyFJ1B">Tulalip Tribes have a 100-acre site available near Quil Ceda, which was <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/19/16504346/tulalip-tribes-amazon-hq2-bid">also submitted as a standalone proposal</a>. They’re estimating nine months to get through the permitting process.</li>
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<p id="DzimvV">The proposal also points to “intangible benefits” of the region, including restaurants, arts, and nightlife in Seattle.</p>
<p id="RA69EE">Attached to the proposal are letters of support from Seattle mayor Tim Burgess and a <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/16/16486366/amazon-seattle-city-council-letter">letter from other Seattle-area lawmakers</a>, including five city councilors. The Workforce Development Council of Seattle and King County, all five members of the Snohomish County Council, and the Economic Alliance of Snohomish COunty also expressed support.</p>
<p id="1CUMug">The proposal also contains short quotes—almost letters of recommendation—from other Washington businesses, including Boeing, Brooks, Alaska Airlines, and Zillow.</p>
<p id="Dc1aEy">While an Amazon exec recently implied that Northwest bids weren’t in the running, an official statement from Amazon said the bids will be given <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461450/amazon-hq2-northwest-location-statement">“serious consideration.”</a> Still, this proposal will have stiff competition from a number of cities, from New York to Denver—and those other cities have a different talent pool than Amazon can already find in Seattle.</p>
<p id="LpoXCm">Final site selection will <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2017/amazon-hq2-deadline-day-everything-need-know-biggest-headquarters-contest-ever/">take place in 2018</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li id="9ZI3As">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/10/16454210/king-snohomish-county-seattle-amazon-hq2">King and Snohomish County have joined together for a regional Amazon bid</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="liDrzm">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">Could Amazon HQ2 be in Tacoma?</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="3KllPJ">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/19/16504346/tulalip-tribes-amazon-hq2-bid">Tulalip Tribes submit their own Amazon HQ2 bid</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="oR6v7I">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461450/amazon-hq2-northwest-location-statement">Amazon will ‘give serious consideration’ to Northwest HQ2 bids</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="vMw60W">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461980/amazon-hq2-search-bids">Amazon HQ2</a> [CS]</li>
</ul>
https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/20/16511834/amazon-hq2-puget-sound-proposalSarah Anne Lloyd2017-10-19T10:57:46-07:002017-10-19T10:57:46-07:00Tulalip Tribes submit their own Amazon HQ2 bid
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KDWqwg95geMFDQfSA_83yG3bDsE=/178x0:3022x2133/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57221259/GettyImages_696679794.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Ryder/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>That’s in addition to participating in a regional bid</p> <p id="AYXoNF">The deadline to submit bids for a second Amazon campus, <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461980/amazon-hq2-search-bids">known as HQ2</a>, is upon us, and the number of local bids has jumped to three. <a href="https://www.tulaliptribes-nsn.gov/">Tulalip Tribes</a>, in addition to <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/10/16454210/king-snohomish-county-seattle-amazon-hq2">participating in a regional proposal with King and Snohomish counties</a>, have submitted their own proposal to house the online giant.</p>
<p id="AM1jx4">The Tulalip proposal suggests a “horizontal campus rather than an urban high-rise one,” according to a release from the tribe. They’re offering 400 acres by <a href="http://www.quilcedavillage.com/">Quil Ceda Village</a>, and imagine mostly low-rise buildings with a maximum of six stories. </p>
<p id="V8ia8C">Tulalip business committee chair Les Parks said in a statement that they want to “create a nature-based community that will set an exceptionally high standard for green.” </p>
<p id="Y6EqBg">“The Tribes’ lands are in a location that is close to Amazon’s current headquarters yet offers a distinctly different type of environment for success,” said Parks. “The new Amazon community/campus, as envisioned, represents a way of life that will attract employees from around the world who may resist the ‘cubicle fatigue’ of working in a high-density, high-pressure urban environment and who can actually be more creative and more productive surrounded by nature.”</p>
<p id="jtn07f">Their vision includes indoor-outdoor workspaces and meeting areas, including rooftop areas, with buildings “immersed in the pines, arbutus, firs and cedars of their natural surroundings.”</p>
<p id="0PPgDk">Aside from nature, the proposal points out, there are some business benefits to being located on tribal land. The tribal government’s sovereignty can make development and permitting decisions more quickly than a large city government.</p>
<p id="s3zt5V">“We own the land,” said Parks. “We don’t have to seek third-party approvals to develop this green, heavily forested landscape.”</p>
<p id="KumcNH">Certain utility services are also controlled by the Tribes, including internet. </p>
<p id="CvCOso">For transportation benefits, the proposal notes that Quil Ceda Village is right off Interstate 5. Eventually, it envisions “autonomous driving vehicles to move guests throughout the campus and a high-speed light rail line linking Vancouver, BC, HQ2, Seattle, and Portland.”</p>
<p id="PJ3N2I">The proposal also notes that <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/6/6/15750590/commercial-airport-everett-paine-field-alaska">commercial flights are coming to Paine Field soon</a>, adding an airport in close proximity.</p>
<p id="GUtl16">Tax law for people not enrolled in a tribe doing business on tribal lands <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=458-20-192">is complicated</a>, but all Washington state bids benefit from a letter from the Governor’s office <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/10/18/washington-state-tax-credits-amazon-headquarters.html">outlining relevant incentive programs</a>, including workforce development grants and certain B&O tax credits.</p>
<p id="IgWIwZ">Proposals are due today. In addition to the Tulalip proposal and one from King and Snohomish counties, Tacoma and the south Sound are <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">submitting their own bid</a>.</p>
<p id="rKTVxn">While an Amazon exec recently implied that Northwest bids weren’t in the running, an official statement from Amazon said the bids will be given <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461450/amazon-hq2-northwest-location-statement">“serious consideration.”</a></p>
<ul>
<li id="9ZI3As">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/10/16454210/king-snohomish-county-seattle-amazon-hq2">King and Snohomish County have joined together for a regional Amazon bid</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="liDrzm">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">Could Amazon HQ2 be in Tacoma?</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="aAfo2K">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461450/amazon-hq2-northwest-location-statement">Amazon will ‘give serious consideration’ to Northwest HQ2 bids</a> [CS]</li>
</ul>
https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/19/16504346/tulalip-tribes-amazon-hq2-bidSarah Anne Lloyd2017-10-11T14:27:31-07:002017-10-11T14:27:31-07:00Amazon will ‘give serious consideration’ to Northwest HQ2 bids
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FNVHOF_sGs7CCTkl5dheXQ-vrKU=/169x0:3013x2133/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57107581/GettyImages_696672174.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Ryder/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>An exec implied Northwest cities aren’t in the running</p> <p id="3q8v9M">At the <em>Geekwire</em> summit on Tuesday, Amazon worldwide consumer CEO Jeff Wilke seemed to hint that their second headquarters <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2017/amazons-second-headquarters-wont-pacific-northwest-says-top-exec-jeff-wilke/">won’t be located in the Pacific Northwest</a>. But officially, Amazon maintains that’s not the case.</p>
<p id="rzN2l8">“We will give serious consideration to every HQ2 proposal we receive from across North America,” said Amazon spokesperson Adam Sedo, “including from communities across the Pacific Northwest.”</p>
<p id="3qHYaD">Two separate efforts to keep the headquarters in the area are underway, one from <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/10/16454210/king-snohomish-county-seattle-amazon-hq2">King and Snohomish counties</a> and the other from <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">Tacoma and the south Sound</a>. A King County spokesperson directed <em>Curbed Seattle</em> to Amazon for comment.</p>
<p id="VrcKsN">“Not everybody wants to live in the Northwest,” said Wilke during an onstage interview. “It’s been terrific for me and my family, but I think we may find another location allows us to recruit a different collection of employees.”</p>
<p id="CgWdco">Could’ve fooled Amazon of four years ago, who produced a video singing “outdoorsy” Seattle’s praises for recruitment purposes (“Everybody runs! Everybody does Crossfit!”), giving away the local secret that it actually doesn’t rain that much.</p>
<div id="cwlvnQ"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/coklW-xcWMk?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="XYX8wI">Still, a major consideration for the second headquarters is the ability to <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2017/09/08/which-cities-are-well-positioned-to-land-amazons-hq2/">attract a talent pool</a>—and Amazon already has access to Seattle-area tech talent.</p>
<p id="ID4Zw0">Wilke’s words could be worrisome for some. Since the second-headquarters announcement, many have been keen to keep Amazon around. That includes city councilor <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2017/seattle-mayor-bruce-harrell-directs-city-bid-amazon-hq2-says-wont-remain-role/">Bruce Harrell</a> during his brief stint as interim mayor, when he signed an executive order directing the city to bid. “Amazon’s decision to launch and grow here has brought tremendous benefits and real challenges,” <a href="http://mayorburgess.seattle.gov/2017/09/mayor-burgess-unveils-citys-2018-proposed-budget/#sthash.PbXf08Me.dpbs">said now-interim mayor Tim Burgess</a> presenting his city budget. Business groups <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/09/07/25400984/business-groups-blame-income-tax-for-amazons-expansion-out-of-seattle-because-of-course-they-do">jumped to defend Amazon</a>—although they hadn’t asked for it—against Seattle’s business environment.</p>
<p id="s7jiH9">But not everyone wants Amazon to live in the Northwest, either. The company’s HQ2 announcement stirred up already tense feelings about their presence in Seattle, summed up in the extremely direct <em>Crosscut </em>headline, <a href="http://crosscut.com/2017/09/amazon-earned-seattles-hostility-second-headquarters/">“Amazon earned Seattle’s hostility.”</a></p>
<ul>
<li id="JNNBac">
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2017/amazons-second-headquarters-wont-pacific-northwest-says-top-exec-jeff-wilke/">Amazon’s second headquarters won’t be in the Pacific Northwest, says top exec Jeff Wilke</a> [GW]</li>
<li id="5rgCNE">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/10/16454210/king-snohomish-county-seattle-amazon-hq2">King and Snohomish County have joined together for a regional Amazon bid</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="Q2VOhB">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">Could Amazon HQ2 be in Tacoma?</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="iFXFKm">
<a href="http://crosscut.com/2017/09/amazon-earned-seattles-hostility-second-headquarters/">Amazon earned Seattle’s hostility</a> [Crosscut]</li>
</ul>
<p id="FE9NyM"></p>
<p id="M70Ild"></p>
https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461450/amazon-hq2-northwest-location-statementSarah Anne Lloyd2017-10-10T13:41:45-07:002017-10-10T13:41:45-07:00King and Snohomish County have joined together for a regional Amazon bid
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7bhlPZOETr7NhwFFPON_rBQN3Vc=/178x0:3022x2133/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57089637/GettyImages_696679794.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Ryder/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Pierce County is submitting their own</p> <p id="bSd1mU">Late last month, interim mayor Tim Burgess said the city <a href="http://mayorburgess.seattle.gov/2017/09/mayor-burgess-unveils-citys-2018-proposed-budget/#sthash.PbXf08Me.dpbs">would be backing</a> a county effort respond to Amazon’s call for a second headquarters location. Last week, we learned what form Seattle’s bid to take on all of Amazon’s expansion will take: King and Snohomish Counties are working together to make a collective bid.</p>
<p id="6acYJE">King County executive Dow Constantine and Snohomish County executive Dave Somers announced Thursday that they’d be coordinating a response to Amazon’s call for a city where they can <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/8/16265758/amazon-second-headquarters-hq2-location">build a second headquarters</a>, frequently referred to as HQ2.</p>
<p id="4Yo9tr">Cities participating in the bid include Marysville, Bellevue, Bothell, Everett, Renton, Lynnwood, and Tukwila. The Tulalip tribes have also signed on. Seattle is not officially on the list, although city staff are helping to put together background information.</p>
<p id="ly3d01">In their statement, the executives said that a regional proposal will be more competitive.</p>
<p id="zoWGtv">Several potential sites—the “shovel-ready” site Amazon asked that proposals include—will be part of the proposal in both participating cities and on tribal lands. Emails obtained by the <em>Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ) </em><a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/10/05/king-and-snohomish-counties-plan-to-file-amazon.html">name a few sites</a> that could be candidates, including Everett’s Riverpoint and Public Works Service Center and Lynnwood City Center.</p>
<p id="hcMOdr">Individual municipalities can opt to include their own tax or talent incentives, as Amazon has <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2017/race-bottom-amazon-stirs-debate-soliciting-tax-credits-second-headquarters/">shown a preference for</a>.</p>
<p id="8kwV9B">They plan to submit a final proposal to Amazon on October 17, and say they’ll have more details at that time.</p>
<p id="YGGGoY">Meanwhile, Pierce County is <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">submitting their own proposal</a>. Speaking with <em>PSBJ</em> earlier this week, <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/10/09/tacoma-mayor-marilyn-strickland-amazon-hq2-pierce.html">Tacoma mayor Marilyn Strickland said</a> that they were approached by the coalition, but ultimately declined: “Amazon should remain in the central Puget Sound region... but, at the end of the day, our proposal will be stronger if we submit it as Tacoma and the south Sound.”</p>
<p id="O720fR">Staying in the same metropolitan area might not help the tech giant attract much talent they couldn’t get in Seattle—but it looks like we’re getting at least two bids out of the area regardless.</p>
<p id="fn8X5C"><em>This article has been updated to clarify the City of Seattle’s involvement.</em></p>
<ul>
<li id="PCX8d3">
<a href="http://kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/constantine/news/release/2017/October/05-Amazon-HQ2.aspx">Regional leaders announce bid on Amazon HQ2, emphasize long-term economic development</a> [KC]</li>
<li id="SB53qm">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/13/16300078/amazon-hq2-tacoma-bid">Could Amazon HQ2 be in Tacoma?</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="YK2BzD">
<a href="http://mayorburgess.seattle.gov/2017/09/mayor-burgess-unveils-citys-2018-proposed-budget/#sthash.PbXf08Me.RnHsEGZk.dpbs">Mayor Burgess unveils City’s 2018 proposed budget</a> [Seattle]</li>
<li id="ndqtqA">
<a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/8/16265758/amazon-second-headquarters-hq2-location">Amazon is looking for a second city to build a second headquarters</a> [CS]</li>
<li id="boundary0">
<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/10/05/king-and-snohomish-counties-plan-to-file-amazon.html">King and Snohomish counties plan to file Amazon HQ2 proposal without Pierce or Kitsap</a> [PSBJ]</li>
<li id="DObFP3">
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2017/race-bottom-amazon-stirs-debate-soliciting-tax-credits-second-headquarters/">A race to the bottom? Amazon stirs debate by soliciting tax credits for second headquarters</a> [Geekwire]</li>
</ul>
https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/10/16454210/king-snohomish-county-seattle-amazon-hq2Sarah Anne Lloyd