News

Silverlode's economic impact study showed a $3 billion jump in state economic output between 2013 and 2016. The growth is attributed to the acquisition of several hospitals and a commitment to local purchasing and hiring.

In the public and unprecedented battle for Amazon's new headquarters, hundreds of geographies have tried to put their best foot forward, including offering incentives packages worth billions. Steve Weitzner explains the need for communities to evolve past submitting standard sites and responses by connecting at a human level and providing a creative offer which Amazon cannot ignore.

The recent boom in megaprojects and the increasingly public nature of these site selection competitions has brought Columbus into the spotlight. Steve Weitzner notes the metropolitan area has worked hard to fight its perception of not having enough workers for a giant project and describes Columbus as one of the country's most vibrant communities.

The details of Cleveland's recent bid for Amazon's HQ2 have been kept confidential while cities like Boston and Chicago have shared information. Steve Weitzner advocated openness in his discussion with the Plain Dealer. He explained the missed opportunity to tell the world (not just Amazon) that Northeast Ohio is competitive and a fantastic place to do business.

Amazon's second headquarters project has probably attracted more attention than any other US project in the history of the world. Amazon has invited metropolitan areas in North America with over one million in population to compete for the project and the estimated 50,000 jobs associated with it. Steve Weitzner speculates about top contenders in this Chicago Tribune article, discusses Amazon's nontraditional approach with the Indy Star, and talks about Ohio's chances with the Columbus Dispatch.