KC named a top ‘dark horse’ to land Amazon HQ2
January 5, 2018 | Bobby Burch
National media is lending credence to Kansas City’s prospects of attracting Amazon’s second headquarters.
Inc. Magazine on Wednesday published a list of “5 Dark Horse Cities” to land Amazon HQ2, a prospective project that promises to create upward of 50,000 new jobs in whatever locale that nabs the online retailer’s massive new hub.
While speculative, the Inc. piece cites analysts’ thoughts on cities that are “diamonds in the rough” for Amazon HQ2, including the City of Fountains, Sacramento, Newark, Los Angeles and Toronto.
On the local area’s appeal, Inc. writer Zoë Henry first highlighted Kansas City Mayor Sly James’ creative effort to entice the gaze of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. In October, James purchased 1,000 items on Amazon, dishing each a five-star rating and a comment promoting Kansas City selling points — especially affordable cost-of-living.
“Each write-up included a not-so-subtle reference to the Missouri city, including why Amazon should select it as the location for its second headquarters,” Henry wrote. “Take, for instance, this review of a set of $14 wind-chimes, which hearkens to the relative affordability of KC. ‘When it comes to my house and my housewares, there’s nothing I value more than bang for my buck. … I live in beautiful Kansas City, where the average home price is just $122,000, so I know luxe living doesn’t have to cost a ton.’”
Inc. also noted the area’s high prospects of attracting another transformative technology firm: Virgin Hyperloop One. Missouri is reportedly a top 5 contender to win the first track for Hyperloop One, which created a transportation system that would propel people or freight from St. Louis to Kansas City in less than 30 minutes.
“City officials have teased access to an ultra-high speed transportation system, such as Elon Musk’s Hyperloop, to accelerate the company’s growth,” the article reads. “According to recent press reports, the St. Louis-Kansas City corridor is a top contender for a Hyperloop route.”
Analysts and authors Joel Kotkin and Richard Florida also provided fodder to buttress Kansas City’s Amazon pitch. Kotkin worked with the Kansas City Area Development Council on its RFP to Amazon, which highlighted the area’s amenities, culture and perspective headquarter sites among other details.
“Kansas City is a jewel in the Heartland — with a great cultural heritage, affordable housing of all kinds and, most of all, a strong spirit of cooperation across the whole region,” said Kotkin, a professor of urban studies at Chapman University in Orange, California. “The next wave of American innovation seems poised to take place in the Midwest, and KC will be at the heart of it all.”
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
How this genre-hopping KC musician is fighting back against digitized entertainment
A former college football star, Keelon Vann often found himself “running on fumes” as he chased his passion on the field — and on key. “I’d be up playing guitar until 3 a.m., which is not a joke, and somehow make it to 5:30 a.m. workouts the next day,” said Vann, a quarterback at Piper High…
New collaboration will help OP startup 3D bioprint, scale its next-gen biotech solution
A Kansas biotech startup’s new manufacturing partner will boost efforts to automate and mass produce Ronawk’s headline-grabbing Bio-Block technology — a platform that has already accelerated medical advancements in tissue therapy. “Collaboration is critical for turning research advances into commercial therapies rapidly. The complexity and diversity of modalities is so big that nobody can do…
Museums shouldn’t feel like artifacts, KC firm says; Here’s how Multistudio uses analog experiences to build buzz
Multistudio doesn’t exclusively design museums, but the Westport-based architecture firm — along with Kansas City itself — certainly is having a museum moment, shared Robert Riccardi. The firm’s local portfolio includes a growing number of new-era museums, including The Rabbit Hole, the Laugh-O-gram animation studio, and the Satchel Paige House. They’re not your traditional museums…
Back2KC sets return date for its 2024 homecoming effort, scouting familiar faces to build an even stronger KC
When Back2KC returns this fall, the homegrown talent recruitment initiative will lean on unexpected connections to entice former residents — now out-of-town professionals — to give Kansas City’s recent Golden Age another look, organizers said. “The biggest win we can have is if these expats and ex-Kansas Citians come back, move their families here, move…