Power Of Amazon

If Amazon had never created headquarters in Seattle, the city would have never become the power it is today. Amazon started as an online company selling books out of a garage in 1994 (Rosenberg and González). By 2001, Amazon took over a total of 630,000 square feet across Seattle (Rosenberg and González). It is now 8.1 million square feet (Selyukh). That’s bigger than any other company in any other city. The next is Citi located in New York, spanning 3.6 million square feet (O’Connell). Amazon has consequently become the dominant online retailer, creating a hub where products from thousands of companies are centralized, and then distributed to consumers all over the globe (Rosenberg and González). 43% of all online sales go through Amazon

Amazon has grown within Seattle to one of the largest companies in the world. Some argue this is a good thing, but the company’s rapid growth has sparked controversy within the city (O’Connell). Not only is company growth a controversial topic, but the impact that Amazon has had on Seattle’s infrastructure has also been an issue. Amazon has reshaped fundamental parts of the city, including housing, transportation, and budgets (O’Connell). Amazon has also brought great economic growth. The company estimates that every dollar they invested into the economy granted the city an additional $1.40 (“Amazon HQ2”). The second Amazon headquarters may be a boom or a bust for the host city because of company growth, infrastructure, and the local economy. Based on what happened in Seattle, company growth could be a boom or a bust for the host city because of company growth. One way Amazon’s company growth could impact the host city is by taking up space. Amazon’s headquarters span across 8.1 million square feet. The retail giant also takes up 19% of all the high-end office space in the city (O’Connell). Since HQ2 will be equal to the current headquarters, this could be a boom because it lowers vacancy rates and pays tons of money to the government through property

The more Amazon grows, the more money it can improve Seattle and the lives of the people within. The company has many charitable projects within Seattle. Amazon’s charity is not limited to donations; they have also started many programs and funded non-profit facilities. When Amazon bought an old hotel for future development, they decided to lend it to a charity that helped the homeless. This allowed homeless men, women, and children to lodge at no cost in a building that was unoccupied (O’Connell). However, since Amazon did eventually develop the building, this wasn’t a permanent solution. So, the company decided to build a homeless shelter within their Seattle headquarters (“Amazon HQ2”). This building, known as Mary’s Place, can now shelter over 200 families at once (“Amazon HQ2”). Amazon also created an organization called FareStart (Strauss). This group financed locations and equipment for five restaurants so they could serve citizens and Amazon employees within Seattle (Strauss). The goal of this organization is to train low-paid workers (waiters) to get higher-paying jobs at places like Amazon