PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[reparcsyks]

I'm always amazed to find out that most of world operates, essentially, like the video store I worked in when I was 16.

Originally Posted by Boku

Philly came closer to being selected for Amazon’s ‘HQ2’ than previously known, new book reveals

https://www.inquirer.com/news/amazon...-20210515.html

Basically, the search team in charge of collecting all of the data had Philly in the final three along with Chicago and Raleigh, and then the senior executives discarded the recommendations for their own personal preferences, including the next CEO who is a die hard Giants fan and said he would never live in Philadelphia. How'd those New York offices work out for ya, bud?

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by reparcsyks

I'm always amazed to find out that most of world operates, essentially, like the video store I worked in when I was 16.

I also learned that lesson early on. I never wanted to get involved in politics after I saw the pettiness and the backstabbing in a college organization.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by reparcsyks

I'm always amazed to find out that most of world operates, essentially, like the video store I worked in when I was 16.

For sure.

The most disappointing thing about getting older is realizing that most older people actually have no idea wtf they're doing.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Boku

Philly came closer to being selected for Amazon’s ‘HQ2’ than previously known, new book reveals

https://www.inquirer.com/news/amazon...-20210515.html

Basically, the search team in charge of collecting all of the data had Philly in the final three along with Chicago and Raleigh, and then the senior executives discarded the recommendations for their own personal preferences, including the next CEO who is a die hard Giants fan and said he would never live in Philadelphia. How'd those New York offices work out for ya, bud?

From the same article:

And executives believed that Philadelphia was “not a hotbed of engineering talent.”

But Nashville is, with one maybe two reputable colleges in the entire state?

Got it.

[700 Level]

Originally Posted by reparcsyks

I'm always amazed to find out that most of world operates, essentially, like the video store I worked in when I was 16.

Think about how demoralizing it must have been for the people on the search committee. You are charged with this important special project . . . you dedicate a year plus in pursuit of the right solution . . . you have almost reached the conclusion . . . and at the last hour you find out that all you had to do was ask the idiots in charge who their favorite football team is.

I also really wish there was a way to ban the location vs. location incentive game and resulting corporate welfare. Take the savings and give it to ALL companies, not the politically connected few.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by Boku

Philly came closer to being selected for Amazon’s ‘HQ2’ than previously known, new book reveals

https://www.inquirer.com/news/amazon...-20210515.html

Basically, the search team in charge of collecting all of the data had Philly in the final three along with Chicago and Raleigh, and then the senior executives discarded the recommendations for their own personal preferences, including the next CEO who is a die hard Giants fan and said he would never live in Philadelphia. How'd those New York offices work out for ya, bud?

Hopefully the city can seize off of this and promote it - I mean this is as good of free publicity as you can ask for. It’s almost the next best thing to actually winning the bid - being one of the final 3 contenders of hundreds.

[UrbanRevival]

Originally Posted by 700 Level

Think about how demoralizing it must have been for the people on the search committee. You are charged with this important special project . . . you dedicate a year plus in pursuit of the right solution . . . you have almost reached the conclusion . . . and at the last hour you find out that all you had to do was ask the idiots in charge who their favorite football team is.

I also really wish there was a way to ban the location vs. location incentive game and resulting corporate welfare. Take the savings and give it to ALL companies, not the politically connected few.

My thoughts exactly. It should be incredibly encouraging to the political powers that be in Philadelphia that it is confirmed that the city was very much a critical contender for a major corporate expansion project.

But it's also very instructive (although definitely not shocking) that there are also so many things outside of the control of people who work so hard to promote and provide a FACT-based case for Philadelphia's economic competitiveness.

At the end of the day, it's just a fact of the matter that so many big company executives make heavily-biased and unfair decisions based on petty bulls**t, and they could really care less about actual facts, or a more justified method for making major investments.

This is the reason why Philadelphia just has to keep on doubling down on REALLY accommodating its existing companies to continue to maintain their homes here as they grow and excel. I think Philly is also doing increasingly better, especially in the biotech sector, at winning those "doubles" and "triples" for smaller corporate HQ operations.

But as far as Jeff Bezos and company is concerned, they can go **** themselves. The Amazon corporate-whoring beauty pageant was the most absurd event to come out of economic development news in quite a while.

[reparcsyks]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Hopefully the city can seize off of this and promote it - I mean this is as good of free publicity as you can ask for. It’s almost the next best thing to actually winning the bid - being one of the final 3 contenders of hundreds.

If there's one thing I can guarantee, it's that our city leaders will not be able to figure out how to market prime real estate around one of the largest train stations in the USA that is also adjacent to an Ivy League university.

Philly has succeeded in spite of its leadership, not because of it.

[thoughtcriminal]

what a screwed up process. why even have a search committee if the execs were always going to put it where they wanted it?
final three: Philly, Chicago, Raleigh.
final decision: DC.

[Mark in Mount Airy]

Originally Posted by reparcsyks

If there's one thing I can guarantee, it's that our city leaders will not be able to figure out how to market prime real estate around one of the largest train stations in the USA that is also adjacent to an Ivy League university.

Philly has succeeded in spite of its leadership, not because of it.

Except the article about the Amazon HQ search that is quoted actually disproves your point. City [and state] leaders were able to market its prime real estate -- Philadelphia was one of three official finalists until top Amazon executives made gut decisions that ignored the findings of their own staff (one on the basis of his misguided football allegiance). Geesh -- it sounds even Trumpier put that way.

Having said that, I do share your general view that city officials, I would argue specifically city council, are more of an impediment to success than a facilitator of it.

[summersm343]

Hahahahaha. I knew I hated Amazon and Bezos... now my hatred is validated.

[Philly Fan]

Go Giants!

Straight to hell. Or at least to the bottom of the NFC East.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by reparcsyks

If there's one thing I can guarantee, it's that our city leaders will not be able to figure out how to market prime real estate around one of the largest train stations in the USA that is also adjacent to an Ivy League university.

Philly has succeeded in spite of its leadership, not because of it.

Imagine the potential if Philadelphia leaders shared an ounce of vision that area business leaders have? (Such as Jerry Sweeney of Brandywine). Not everyone on council is bad, but most shrug their shoulders at solving economic problems, or drank the Progressive cool-aid and act as social workers, not city leaders. (You have to give credit to Rendell and Nutter because they had that vision).

But the entire bidding process shows that the state and city can really pull something off. There are endless opportunities for Philadelphia to steal thunder from cities around the country (especially in Life Sciences & Bio-Tech), but most will go unrealized due to the above the above reasons.

Originally Posted by Mark in Mount Airy

Except the article about the Amazon HQ search that is quoted actually disproves your point. City [and state] leaders were able to market its prime real estate -- Philadelphia was one of three official finalists until top Amazon executives made gut decisions that ignored the findings of their own staff (one on the basis of his misguided football allegiance). Geesh -- it sounds even Trumpier put that way.

Having said that, I do share your general view that city officials, I would argue specifically city council, are more of an impediment to success than a facilitator of it.

It is sad because the article mentioned the "contest" went from choosing a viable city (Chicago, Philadelphia, Raleigh) to which city gave the best handout & which city the top execs liked the most.

I'm proud of Philadelphia, but what a joke that whole thing was, and I agree with others, Amazon can **** off.

But also yes to your last paragraph.

[Redddog]

What a joke.

I hope at the very least this puts the whole corporate raffle scheme to an end.

They go through a year long process and then pick willy-nilly at the end. How embarrassed Bezos should be at this leak. I know I would be.

Though, I'm sure he has enough benjamins handy to dry his tears.

[thoughtcriminal]

It takes a special kind of asshole to pit city against city, to see what cities can out-whore the other cities to lure this prick in.
I do hope that the residents of these cities took notice of what, and who, their leaders were willing to sell them out for.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

From the same article:

But Nashville is, with one maybe two reputable colleges in the entire state?

Got it.

I am confused about that quote too... What exactly do these execs know again?...

U Penn, Drexel, Temple, Villanova, Widener, Lehigh, etc.

There are a lot of major engineering schools in or near Philadelphia.

Philadelphia educates a huge chunk of the nations talent, whether they chose to stay or leave is a different story.

[SEFTA]

Originally Posted by reparcsyks

If there's one thing I can guarantee, it's that our city leaders will not be able to figure out how to market prime real estate around one of the largest train stations in the USA that is also adjacent to an Ivy League university.

Philly has succeeded in spite of its leadership, not because of it.

I have lived in many cities over the years.
One thing everybody always agreed on was their local politicians were ineffective and corrupt. With out fail

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

I have lived in many cities over the years.
One thing everybody always agreed on was their local politicians were ineffective and corrupt. With out fail

Might want to try to make it less of a one party city then.

Naaaaahhh...

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

Might want to try to make it less of a one party city then.

Naaaaahhh...

Hard to do that when one of the two viable parties in America is completely disinterested with running on an agenda that even attempts to court those who live in urban centers to the point of basically being openly hostile toward them.

Definitely agree that one party rule is an issue though.

[Nova08]

Philadelphia, Pacific Northwest See Surge in Biopharma Jobs
https://www.biospace.com/article/ore...arket-booming/

In 2020, the Philadelphia region’s entire life sciences hub listed sixth in the U.S., according to the JLL 2020 U.S. Life Sciences Real Estate Outlook. But that appears to be surging, particularly for cell therapy, gene therapy, and gene editing. These particular aspects of the life sciences sector have shown a $4.3 billion increase in investment in 2020, more than fourfold from $828 million in 2019, and $980 million in the first quarter of 2021 across 16 companies alone.