* Joe Cahill is furious that Gov. Rauner is also giving some support to St. Louis’ Amazon HQ2 bid…
Any material assistance to Missouri would be a stunning betrayal, undermining Illinois’ only realistic contender for one of the biggest economic development prizes in a generation. […]
Rauner is kidding himself if he thinks Missouri would let Illinois share the bounty of an Amazon base in St. Louis. Sure, some Illinois residents would land jobs across the Mississippi River. But don’t expect Amazon to open offices in East St. Louis or Alton. Missouri lawmakers shelling out tax subsidies to Amazon would want every last dollar invested in their state.
Most important, Rauner would weaken Chicago’s bid if he strengthens St. Louis.’ Chicago has Amazon’s wish list pretty well covered, but so do other cities. To win against tough competition, Illinois needs to speak with one voice on behalf of Chicago.
What will Amazon’s decision-makers think if Illinois officials stumping for Chicago simultaneously talk up St. Louis? Most likely, they’ll start to doubt Chicago’s sales pitch.
Suburban St. Louis is built out so far west that lots of people have decided to go east to Illinois. We’d definitely benefit. I just think a backup plan is always a good option.
* And then he tosses in this…
Perhaps Rauner is so invested in his Illinois-as-basketcase narrative—and his personal animosity toward Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and House Speaker Michael Madigan—that an economic coup for Chicago would feel like a defeat. Maybe he worries that an Amazon move to Chicago would undercut his argument that Illinois has become so unattractive to business that only deep reforms will save the state’s economy.
I just cannot make myself believe that.
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:44 am:
Throwing out this thought: Chicago benefits from being -the- city in the Midwest. No other big Midwestern city has a good reputation (I don’t count Indianapolis as a competitor). I wouldn’t want that to change with St. Louis - to be honest until Rich’s comment a few days ago I didn’t think St. Louis was doing well at all, but he said it’s become trendy and Amazon locating there would give it a real “new economy” identity. That may be a little abstract to give up the tangible benefits to the Illinois part of the St. Louis metro area - I’d be more worried if Milwaukee landed Amazon - but would a revived St. Louis be able to compete in other ways with Illinois?
- Macbeth - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:45 am:
—
I just cannot make myself believe that.
—
I can. That is hyperpartisan Rauner.
The guy who is now installing IPI folks in individual agencies.
- PJ - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:45 am:
The second part is absolutely correct. Would that really shock you? How many times has he done something objectively harmful to the State because it buttressed his narrative?
We just watched him spend weeks not bonding out back bills, earning us exorbitant interest payments, because it was Mendoza urging him to do it. His temper and stubbornness constantly overtake common sense.
- Grand Avenue - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:48 am:
Amazon moving into the old post office in Chicago would be ironic because USPS has basically become a subsidiary of Amazon at this point.
- Curl of the Burl - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:48 am:
1. St. Louis businesses benefit greatly from Illinois’s workforce. Lots of Metro East towns are bedroom communities for the St. Louis area. St. Louis is not a bad Option 1A.
2. Joe Cahill is drinking Draino if he thinks Rauner would purposely tank bringing Amazon HQ2 to the state - especially with his reelection bid barely a year away.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:50 am:
It isn’t just Rauner making that argument about Illinois being a bad place. The House and Senate Republicans have been saying that since about 2003. And the business community.
- A guy - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:52 am:
Other large companies have chosen Chicago and the Chicago region despite political wrangling that could wreck it anywhere else.
The location, the people, the transportation, the diversity, the workforce, the tech support, the livability, the only Midwest City with a world class feel….yep, try as they may to screw this up; they can’t. It’s still the piece of real estate Daniel Burnham described.
If Amazon picks another place…they be handicapping themselves. Seattle companies with some real girth have found Chicago to be a good place to resettle.
If Bezos is as smart as I think he is; this shouldn’t be a tough choice. Even with the warts, Chicago is as great or more great an American city as there is.
- Almost the weekend - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:52 am:
This article basically sums up why downstate Illinois strongly dislikes Chicago. Outside of Chicago the media and people who live here are clueless that there are other business and attractions in Illinois. If Amazon locates to Saint Louis many young people will be hired, but down the road these people who start families will more than likely move across the river for reasons Rich states above. Many Saint Louis Cardinals players lived in Illinois. You will also get the benefit of these dollars being spent in Illinois whether it’s from the casino,entertainment or tourism in Jersey Madison and St Clair County. Smaller companies in Illinois will benefit just like with Foxconn in Wisconsin.
You also have solid infrastructure there with multiple highways to take you in any direction, with an airport, and of course the Mississippi River.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:53 am:
This gambit works well for Rauner either way. We win, he wins. We lose, and it’s easy to draw a line toward the economic policy issues he’s always hammered.
- The Captain - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:53 am:
If, like Rauner, you think the way to solve the pension debt and bill backlog problem is to grow the economy then I’m not sure how padding the income and sales tax receipts of Missouri does that.
- Fantasy - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:55 am:
He really believes this a two city race between stl and Chicago?
- don the legend - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:57 am:
—I just cannot make myself believe that.—
I can.
Maybe this would be a good poll question.
Thanks.
- TopHatMonocle - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:58 am:
I agree, Rauner helping St. Louis and Missouri land the Amazon HQ2 makes no sense. He is the Governor of Illinois. I don’t see Scott Walker or Eric Holcomb helping us out with our bid. If St. Louis gets it and we benefit some, great. Helping to make that happen though will come at Illinois’ expense. For a supposed smart businessman, Rauner sure is terrible at attracting businesses here. Someone should make it simple for him and tell him to give Rahm whatever he needs to seal the deal.
- WSJ Paywall - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:59 am:
After the protests in St. Louis this weekend, I highly doubt they’ll get HQ2.
If it’s going anywhere in Missouri, it’s going in Kansas City.
- Anonymous Hipster - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 10:59 am:
Let’s be clear. Amazon going to St. Louis would be like a top prospect from Simeon signing on to play for the Loyola Ramblers. A feel-good fantasy that, while not altogether impossible, will not come to pass for reasons that are all but out of any one person or institution’s control.
But if St. Louis somehow gets Amazon, it’s the blue collar people of metro east who are going to get the short shrift as they get pushed out by techie gentrification.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:01 am:
===After the protests in St. Louis this weekend===
Chicago has its own problems.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:01 am:
I also don’t believe, in this instance, that Rauner is serving up a “fish” to Rahm. These two sites in the Midwest are probably the two most promising for the new Amazon site. However, Rauner has poisoned himself in the role he wants to play for this part- businessman governor. His paternal approach to making Illinois better by talking the state down and trying to send the state to “time-outs” during his tenure is now coming back to haunt him.
- Curl of the Burl - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:02 am:
I get people questioning why we would help St. Louis with a potential Amazon bid. But chew on this for a second: Madison, St. Clair, Monroe, Bond, Washington, Jersey and Macoupin Counties have 750,000+ people. That is a huge population center across the river. A lot of people in Chicago and the suburbs never stop to think that the Metro East territory is a fairly populous area.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:06 am:
The pitch is simple. Offer to build the 3rd airport and put Amazon right next to it. Done no one else can offer that kind of transport access. We have the land available
- Former State Worker - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:07 am:
As someone who had the misfortune of living in St. Louis for six years and who now lives in Chicago, I find the idea that Amazon would choose St. Louis over Chicago ludicrous.
The ONLY thing that St. Louis has over Chicago is a lower cost of living but that’s only because people don’t want to live there. Chicago is a world class city that offers Amazon everything they are looking for. St. Louis just doesn’t have the infrastructure or workforce to compete with Chicago or a laundry list of other cities (Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Toronto, etc.). The Metro Link is a joke that only takes you to specified locations in the St. Louis area. There aren’t enough people in the region to come close to filling 50,000 positions and it’s not an attractive city for millennials.
Rauner should be going all in on Chicago because that is the ONLY city in the Midwest that could land Amazon.
- WTF - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:08 am:
What is so hard to believe?
What has he said/done since the election that made you think, “That guy really loves Illinois and only wants what’s best for the people”
- it'smyopinion - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:08 am:
What about Rauner’s past behavior makes people believe he wouldn’t have that kind of thought, better for MO and a small piece of IL to win than my enemies get anything? Sounds like the Rauner I’ve watched in action so far.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:10 am:
–I just cannot make myself believe that.–
Really? Based on Rauner’s words and actions in office, it’s a perfectly reasonable position.
His campaign message is that “Illinois is Broken” and the “corrupt Chicago machine” is the only thing that’s keeping him from fixing it.
A big Chicago win destroys his message.
- Galena Guy - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:11 am:
The petty nature and vindictiveness of BVR really knows no bounds, does it?
- GA Watcher - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:13 am:
Governor Rauner’s assistance with a St. Louis bid makes sense only if Amazon chooses to locate on this side of the Mississippi. I don’t remember him assisting Wisconsin with its bid for Foxconn even though it reportedly will provide economic development benefits to Illinois.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:13 am:
==The pitch is simple. Offer to build the 3rd airport and put Amazon right next to it. Done no one else can offer that kind of transport access. We have the land available==
St Louis could. The St Louis metro has an already built, but vastly underutilized, airport ready to go in the Metro East.
- Macbeth - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:18 am:
If it does go to St. Louis in the end — wouldn’t this be a serious — potentially devastating loss — to Rauner?
I mean, one of the reasons why it would go to St. Lous was/is because Rauner helped. How does help him politically?
It just fuels his ineptness and impotence. Confused why he would admit this. (Even if there would be some benefits to the region … just not to Rauner specifically.)
- Nick Name - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:20 am:
“I just cannot make myself believe that.”
Almost everything Rauner has said and done since he was sworn in supports that conclusion.
- NoGifts - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:20 am:
The main question is do the Amazon executives want to live in southern Illinois?
- Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:21 am:
The guy who wrote the article is a whiner. While some of the responses make good points, I don’t think Chicago is a front runner. Wordslinger made good points on property by the lake that would be perfect but let’s face it, 50K more people in the commute to work in downtown Chicago would add to the mayhem. Chicago also has higher rent and a crime problem that is always in the news. Just saying. I don’t know when a decision is likely but it will be interesting.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:22 am:
==St Louis could. The St Louis metro has an already built, but vastly underutilized, airport ready to go in the Metro East.==
An airport that is almost exclusively used for cargo. Amazon is looking for infrastructure and a workforce that is already in place. The metro east has none of that and they have no reason to build up around Mascoutah when so many other locations in the country already have in place what they are looking for.
- A guy - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:22 am:
+++- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:01 am:
===After the protests in St. Louis this weekend===
Chicago has its own problems.++++
As does Seattle…
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:24 am:
===After the protests in St. Louis this weekend, I highly doubt they’ll get HQ2.
What city isn’t having similar issues? And anyone looking at the St. Louis protests will also realize how contained the locations are.
In terms of the airport–Lambert is heavily underutilized as well.
The thing about the Saint Louis bid is that I doubt Saint Louis and Chicago are in direct competition. Yes, it is for the same project, but why you would choose one or the other suggests very different criteria to me. I don’t think Rauner would be hurting Chicago by helping the Saint Louis bid.
If you are choosing Chicago you are choosing a world class city that has those characteristics and will handle the addition without much fuss.
If you are choosing Saint Louis, you are choosing a city where Amazon will be the biggest deal in a century, is cheap, and Amazon can shape the infrastructure choices and create an attraction.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:27 am:
==The guy who wrote the article is a whiner. While some of the responses make good points, I don’t think Chicago is a front runner. Wordslinger made good points on property by the lake that would be perfect but let’s face it, 50K more people in the commute to work in downtown Chicago would add to the mayhem. Chicago also has higher rent and a crime problem that is always in the news. Just saying. I don’t know when a decision is likely but it will be interesting.==
Chicago may not end up with the headquarters but they at least meet the criteria that Amazon is looking for. They definitely land on the short list of most desirable locations.
St. Louis isn’t even in the top 30. Where would the headquarters be located? It’s not an attractive city for people to relocate to. Chicago can at least offer the infrastructure, work force and location that Amazon wants. They may opt for cities like Boston, Dallas or Philadelphia but St. Louis isn’t even in the discussion.
- Ron - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:29 am:
Ginhouse Tommy
Did you even read the RFP criteria? Chicago hits virtually all of them out of the park.
- Whatever - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:32 am:
==What will Amazon’s decision-makers think if Illinois officials stumping for Chicago simultaneously talk up St. Louis? Most likely, they’ll start to doubt Chicago’s sales pitch.==
Most likely, they’ve already decided and all they are doing is trolling for subsidies. In that case, they will welcome St. Louis - the more bidders the better.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:37 am:
I suspect all this is academic.
My guess is that Amazon knows where it wants to go. It will name three of four “finalists” to start a bidding war to maximize the package from the already pre-determined “winner.”
And they’ll get a historic bundle. No politician is going to make a stand on “corporate welfare” with this one.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:41 am:
From an outsider’s perspective, I imagine the Bi-State Development Agency and the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission would be involved in assisting St. Louis with a bid for Amazon. The Governor’s key focus should be Chicago, but at least Illinois government has an obligation to assist St. Louis in a bid which seeks metropolitan cooperation considering how it would benefit 700,000+ Illinoisans.
- Macbeth - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:41 am:
I’m an Amazon exec — and my choice is Chicago or St. Louis?
Thanks, but I’d pick Chicago any — any — day over hot, humid St. Louis. Chicago winters? Nothing on St. Louis summers (and floods).
- plutocrat03 - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:44 am:
The key to landing the new HQ is to understand the motivation of splitting the headquarters. Is Amazon simply looking for the biggest fool to shower them with benefits?
No city has 50K highly skilled workers sitting around on their hands. Those worker will will go wherever Amazon drops down.
Like Cat moving their top tier to Chicago because there is more fun than Decatur, Chicago will have to prove that they are the fun place to be for the incoming Amazon workforce.
- hexagon - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:44 am:
I agree with Cahill, but for different reasons. It’s crazy to support St. Louis because Chicago has a real chance at the hq whereas st. Louis doesn’t have a prayer. Thus, Rauner is distracting himself from the important conversation by talking about St Louis at all. That city lacks the labor force and cultural capital to attract enough workers. It’s good for Purina or anyone else in the dog food business, but Amazon needs a more substantial city.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:47 am:
=== I just cannot make myself believe that. ===
I can believe it. I think that’s exactly it. He’s an ideologue. Can’t have Chicago’s success contradicting his lies, err, statements.
- Anon - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 11:51 am:
Bezos is no dummy, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the state of Illinois would have their hand knee deep in his pocket almost immediately given the fiscal situation in this state.
The math of Illinois pension problem is what will keep big companies away, as they have to be paid and business will be the ones getting hit up repeatedly over the next few decades in ever increasing ways to pay them.
Amazon landing in St. Louis at least would get us a little economic benefit since its not coming to Chicago.
People that keep ignoring our fiscal realities don’t live in the real world. With iron clad court orders that no haircut will ever happen, it means businesses have to plan for California levels of income taxes in the near future, and businesses just aren’t going to willingly sign up for that.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:00 pm:
Ron While Chicago meets criteria it also has its problems. If Amazon does come to Chicago it might be in the suburbs or just of of town like Waukegan or maybe somewhere in Lake Co.
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:05 pm:
“The pitch is simple…” In general, if your contention includes the words “All you have to do is…” or “Simply a matter of…” it’s meaningless.
- Flapdoodle - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:12 pm:
Word at 11:37 nails it — Bezos is excellent at playing games within games. He’s in phase 1 of maximizing his leverage, letting sites ratchet up the opening bids. Phase 2 begins when the pre-selected finalists start bidding directly against each other. Phase 3 will be a “how deep are your pockets?” between two or maybe three locations.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:20 pm:
I think Wordslinger is right. All this is just alot of us venting. Maybe Amazon just wants to see what other cities have to say. And St Louis rarely floods.
- Ron - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:25 pm:
Again Gin, did you read the RFP criteria?
- Ron - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:25 pm:
If Amazon comes to Chicago, it will be the City.
- Ron - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
plutocrat, Amazon will not create 50,000 new jobs day 1. Those numbers a projection many years out.
- Highland Il - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:40 pm:
O’Fallon Illinois is duting off it’s NGA proposal for Amazon. Maybe Rauner can assist this side of the river.
- Highland IL - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:41 pm:
*dusting, not duting
- Illinoisvoter - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:42 pm:
Separating conjoint twins is a messy business and ensuring they are both viable after the split maybe we’re seeing right now. If you think one of the largest corporations in out country is trying to duplicate what it already possesses than maybe business isn’t for you. Buying one of the biggest
houses in town and the local paper and owning an organization where the profits are coming from data warehouses not selling books or toasters don’t you think the boss would want to be close to his largest client the Federal government and
have Northern Virginia battle it out with Maryland? Make a serious bid, but jump careful.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:50 pm:
When a well regarded, reasonable and fair writer like Joe Cahill writes an article slamming Rauner and asserts that his political agenda may sabotage the ability for our state to pursue a major project, you need to collect your “superstars” to change the narrative. This article illustrates the lost opportunity the Rauner administration has become.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 12:55 pm:
==I just cannot make myself believe that.==
For me, it’s easy to believe. If he cared about Illinois, if he cared about the residents, he wouldn’t have shepherded a budget crisis that destroyed the social safety net, he wouldn’t rip the state to anyone who cares to listen. The man will literally do everything he can if it benefits him or his re-election personally. He’s a most craven cynic who doesn’t give a whit about helping the State. Actions have proven that.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 1:00 pm:
==Chicago has its own problems. ==
Maybe, but Amazon’s RFP specifically stated a desire to move to a progressive city. St. Louis (and Missouri) ain’t that
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 1:06 pm:
I have to agree with everyone who thinks Rauner would screw this deal up to make his political point.
- Small town taxpayer - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 1:15 pm:
===Suburban St. Louis is built out so far west that lots of people have decided to go east to Illinois.===
If Amazon would move to a location near MidAmerica St. Louis Airport maybe the taxpayers could get some value from the millions of dollars that have been spent on it. Maybe the taxpayers of Illinois could make a profit from the underused airport.
- Dan Johnson - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
I think it’s a good thing Rauner includes the St. Louis metro region as part of economic development. St. Louis getting better and stronger is good for Illinois and good for Chicago. We are one regional economy from Toronto to St. Louis. That’s the economic fact. The more we cooperate over state lines the better.
- Generic Drone - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 1:50 pm:
If Amazon does not choose Illinois, I am curious to see how Rauner will blame Madigan or unions on this one.
- blue dog dem - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 1:54 pm:
What does everyone think the cost will be? $4 billion?
- lesser_of_two_ovals - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
Can’t believe nobody has mentioned how Missouri has a higher income tax than Illinois and St. Louis has an additional city income tax. How could Rauner think that is a good place to do business?
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 2:48 pm:
True, but IL has the higher corporate tax. Not that they’ll be paying that for year regardless of where they locate.
- dbk - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 3:07 pm:
The RFP, which is not overly long or detailed, is pretty clear.
Amazon wants a major international airport.
They want the campus within 30 miles of the city.
They require a metropolitan population of a million at minimum.
And they’re going to need 8 million square feet of office space by 2027.
There are also specs about the type of buildings they want - sustainable, renewable, etc. etc. [These exclude some of the prime already-existing buildings, btw.]
They want an existing tech workforce of 50,000 (to draw from).
It’s just not enough to have an underutilized airport–these guys want dozens of direct flights to all destinations in the U.S. and abroad, every day of the week.
It’s not enough to say “relocate and the workers will come” - that’s not what the RFP says; they want them already there. (Chicago has an existing tech force est. as in excess of 44,000.)
Chicago has the second-busiest airport in the U.S.
It has unbelievable large plots of real estate within access of the Loop, re-zoned and ready for development - if any other city can match the North Industrial Corridor’s 690 acres, well, more power to them.
It’s the no. 1 city for corporate relocations over the past few years.
It’s got the cultural and university environment these guys are seeking, and then some.
And — although this isn’t mentioned in the RFP — it’s the second-largest financial center in the U.S.
==I just cannot make myself believe that.==
Unfortunately, in company with several other commenters, I can. Easily.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 3:09 pm:
Why would Amazon care about the state corporate income tax rate? It only applies to income derived from Illinois sales.
Corporate income tax generated $2.4B in state revenues last year. Personal income taxes generated $15.3B, sales taxes $11.4B.
Consumers paid more in excise taxes on cigarettes, booze and phones and the like than was collected in corporate income tax.
- DeseDemDose - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
Anything good that has happened in the state of Illinois has happened in spite of Rauner. Rauner tried to bankrupt us every way possible. Chicago will get Amazon in spite of Rauner because it still is the exciting city of broad shoulders. Rauner is a Koch flunky.
- Michael Westen - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 4:20 pm:
Rauner and Rahm aren’t feuding and never have been, except for show. For all of Rauner’s rhetoric, he signed a final bill that gave Chicago even more than they originally asked for in the beginning. That speaks volumes.
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 4:39 pm:
That’s a good point WS. Are most state business income taxes structure similar? I tried searching and couldn’t get a solid answer.
- anon - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 4:59 pm:
From the Economist -
“In 2002 Washington University, St Louis University and others teamed up to create the Cortex innovation community, built on industrial land between the two universities. Cortex is now home to about 325 companies, with names like CoFactor Genomics and Boundless, which have found a home in the Centre for Emerging Technologies, an incubator; the BioGenerator, an accelerator that works with startups for a short, intense time; TechShop, a workspace for prototyping; or another of the seven innovation centres. By next year the eighth office building will be added, along with a light-rail station connecting Cortex to the airport and a hotel. Last month Microsoft announced that it will move its regional headquarters into the new Cortex building next year.
These efforts are showing hopeful results. Nearly 15,000 new college-educated millennials moved to St Louis between 2000 and 2014, according to the Pew Charitable Trust, which makes the city millennials’ fourth-most-popular destination, eclipsing both Chicago (11th) and Seattle (19th). In a report on the rise of innovation districts, the Brookings Institution, a think-tank, cited Cortex as one of the seven best examples. On April 11th and 12th Dennis Lower, the chief executive of Cortex, played host to 12 other mayors to parade these achievements. Until recently, no forward-looking mayor would have bothered to travel to St Louis for inspiration.”
- Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 5:11 pm:
Joe Cahill is spot on.
If and when Amazon chooses Chicago it would completely undermine all of Rauner’s turnaround agenda economic fantasies.
- Union proud - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 5:21 pm:
Heard Amazon is waiting until we pass term limits and dismantle collective bargaining. A very reliable source has assured me these are the things that get job creators excited.
*massive snark*
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 5:54 pm:
Yeah, Amazon loves unions, Union Proud. Look at all their distribution centers…
- Ron - Wednesday, Sep 20, 17 @ 8:34 pm:
Unions have nothing to do with the HQ.