How does Chicago land Amazon’s HQ2?

“We want to find a city that is excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit.” — Amazon’s RFP on the public approach to site selection process

Last week I led a group discussion about the local pursuit of Amazon’s HQ2 in one of the Urban Land Institute’s Local Product Councils. The theme for it revolved around assessing what Chicago could do to attract the economic development prize in landing Amazon, based upon the strengths and weaknesses of the city as a home. We went further and debated the merits of some of the presumed locations for the (enormous) space requirement that had been mentioned in the media.

Two main takeaways from the strengths and weaknesses discussion, and then I’ll review prospective locations.

On the merits described in the RFP, Chicago stacks up very well, boasting a strong tech labor pool, universities, fiber optic connectivity and transportation infrastructure, all delivered at a comparatively affordable and livable rate compared with coastal markets. As one of the large gateway cities of North America, Chicago offers a strong cultural fit, including an array of urban amenities and a populace that shares the typically inclusive values of the educated, multi-national, tech-oriented workforce of Amazon. Add intangibles such as Chicago’s welcoming disposition towards immigrants and our aggressive and motivated political leadership, and Chicago’s bid will be comparatively strong.

While Chicago checks a lot of boxes called out in the RFP document, I think it’s clear Amazon is seeking a deeper partnership with their chosen host city for HQ2. Amazon’s unusual public selection site process is a signal to bidders they want broad engagement with its new home city, as the quote at the top of this post lays out.

Beyond extending an attractive package of economic incentives, Chicago should think creatively and leverage the strengths of myriad communities in innovative ways; creating STEAM education partnerships with Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago, programs to support small businesses, similar to Whole Foods and their local procurement programs, and affordable housing to mitigate the gentrification 50,000 well paid tech workers may bring about.

So if Chicago is the choice for HQ2, which sites will make the shortlist and which is ultimately the best? Sterling Bay’s “Lincoln Yards” and Tribune’s Freedom Center stand out for their high profile location. 601W “ The Post Office” and Union Station offer unique adaptive reuse appeal in a dense, transit-rich location. Cook County Hospital and the Illinois Medical District have similar appeal with more available land to develop.

Those are all good options, but my bias is toward the South Side. The Related “Riverside Park” site offers an unparalleled large infill tract, along the river, adjacent a major shopping strip, with the Red Line onsite.

Even better is the Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville. It’s another large infill tract, but clustered on the Near South Side’s lakefront, with Metra’s Electric Line on site, and some adaptive reuse opportunity as well.

With the history and remarkable natural beauty of the lakefront Reese site, Amazon could craft a unique presence and identity for HQ2. When considering the partnership opportunities and benefits to Chicago, landing the tech giant on the South Side would open doors in an area of the city that has so much to offer yet is too often overlooked.