LaunchCode leader: Your city never stood a chance of landing Amazon’s HQ2

[Editor’s note: This guest column first appeared on the Silicon Prairie News tech and entrepreneurship blog. It is republished here with permission from the author, St. Louis-based Daniel Fogarty, vice president of growth at LaunchCode, which operates its workforce development program in Kansas City.] [divide] After months of waiting, it’s finally confirmed Amazon will split…

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Amazon narrows finalists for HQ2; Kansas City not on the list

Kansas City apparently isn’t the prime location for Amazon’s HQ2, but area development leaders say the lessons learned from pursuing the online retail giant’s second headquarters not only united the metro, but better prepared it for future bids. “I understand that some Kansas Citians may be disappointed by the Amazon announcement,” Mayor Sly James said…

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Before prime time: Did Amazon’s 1999 arrival in Kansas deliver on hype?

In 1999, Amazon — still in its infancy — meant only two things to most consumers: low-priced books and CDs. But for one small town in Kansas, residents believed the online retailer had the potential to be a game-changer for their economically depressed, rural community. “People in Coffeyville were practically doing cartwheels in the streets,” said…

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Primed for HQ2? Gardner area was made for Amazon, Kansas legislator says

Plans for bringing Amazon’s HQ2 to Southwestern Johnson County were laid in the 1800s, Bill Sutton said. “As soon as the (Santa Fe, Oregon, and California) trails divided here, all of this was in the cards,” said Sutton, a Kansas state representative whose district encompasses Gardner and Edgerton. “If the trails divided here, then guess…

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