Risky Business: Speculating on the Future of Location of Amazon's HQ2

Real estate investors are willing to gamble on the potential of the future location, still to be determined, of Amazon's second headquarters.

1 minute read

October 24, 2018, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Monongahela River

Christian Hinkle / Shutterstock

Shayndi Raice and Keiko Morris report: "Plenty of real-estate investors are poised to buy property in whichever city Amazon.com Inc. picks for its second headquarters. Some aren’t waiting."

There's more than one way to gamble on the future location of HQ2, according to the article: "Speculators are raising funds to invest in real estate near the winning site—wherever that may be—or are gathering cash commitments so they can pounce immediately after the winner is announced. Others are buying up shares of a real-estate firm that owns much of the property in a north Virginia city that many consider a leading contender."

It's been almost a year since Amazon announced the list of 20 finalists in the running for the $5 billion facility. The article includes details about how being among the finalists is already impacting markets like in Northern Virginia and in Pittsburgh, PA.

Disclaimer: The article might be behind a paywall for some readers.

Monday, October 22, 2018 in The Wall Street Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Downtown Los Angeles skyline at sunset with new 6th Street Viaduct arches in foreground.

Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025

Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.

February 21, 2025 - Los Angeles Downtown News

Informational plaque in front of paved walkway next to tall green trees in Black Hawk State Historic Site, Illinois.

Supporting Indigenous Land Reclamation Through Design

Harvard students collaborated with the Sac and Fox Nation to develop strategies for reclaiming and co-managing ancestral lands in Illinois, supporting Indigenous sovereignty through design, cultural storytelling, and economic planning.

47 minutes ago - Harvard GSD

Lush Five Rivers Metropark in Dayton, Ohio with flowers and green trees on a sunny day.

A Plan to Expand Tree Canopy Across Dayton

Dayton is developing an urban forest master plan, using a $2 million grant to expand its tree canopy, address decades of tree loss, and enhance environmental equity across the city.

1 hour ago - Dayton Daily News

Close-up of worker installing white electric heat pump outdoors.

Decarbonizing Homes: The Case for Electrifying Residential Heating

A new MIT study finds that transitioning residential heating from natural gas to electric heat pumps can significantly reduce carbon emissions and operational costs.

2 hours ago - MIT News

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.