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☆ Amazon resumes construction on office tower in Seattle suburb after yearslong hiatus
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon is resuming construction on a 42-story office tower in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, the company said Thursday, after 22 floors of the building sat unfinished since 2022. In December, Amazon opened the first half of the 42-story office tower in Bellevue, dubbed "Sonic," and moved about 1,000 employees into the building. Amazon has continued to secure office space outside of Seattle, where it's headquartered. The tower, its largest, will have about 1 million square feet of office space. The second phase, referred to as PenPlace, includes three 22-story office buildings, retail space and a 350-foot-tall tower called "The Helix."

Persons: Andy Jassy, Amazon, HQ2 Organizations: Amazon, Sonic, Dynamo Locations: Seattle, Bellevue, Virginia, Nashville

☆ Over half of employees have no idea how their companies are using AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Deborah Kong | Nbc East Coast Page | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Over half of employees (54%) say they have no idea how their company is using AI, according to a new survey conducted by UKG, a human resources and workforce technology company. That's despite the fact that the majority of C-suite leaders (78%) say that their company is using artificial intelligence today, according to UKG. Employees should be worried: 68% of C-suite respondents said their company has made AI decisions that are not in employees' best interests. In fact, executives that responded to the survey estimated that 56% of their workforce is directly using AI to automate or augment job tasks. Meanwhile, among workers already transparently using AI, 75% say it makes them more efficient, productive, and accurate.

Persons: Al Drago, UKG, Hugo Sarrazin, Dan Schawbel Organizations: Amazon Devices, Amazon.com Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, Workplace Intelligence, UKG Locations: Arlington , Virginia, UKG

☆ On Amazon, eBay, and Shopify, AI is the new third-party seller
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Did AI help in the process of convincing you to spend? We do know for sure that getting a leg up on the competition is getting easier for e-commerce platform sellers through the latest AI. Amazon, for example, recently rolled out a generative AI tool to help sellers write more robust and effective product descriptions. Here's what sellers need to know about using AI to sell more effectively. Customers will find more complete product information, as the new technology will help sellers provide richer information with less effort," the company stated.

Persons: Al Drago, Chris Jones, Greg Mercer, Mercer, Sellers Organizations: Amazon Devices, Amazon.com Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, Amazon Prime, New York Times, Meta, Business, Scout Locations: Arlington , Virginia

☆ Amazon gives Alexa an AI facelift as it launches new smart speakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon introduced a "smarter and more conversational" version of its Alexa voice assistant that the company hopes will bolster its position in the tech industry's artificial intelligence race. In his final keynote address at the event on Wednesday, Amazon's devices chief Dave Limp showed off a demo of an updated Alexa that's freshly equipped with features powered by generative AI. From an event space at its new second headquarters in northern Virginia, Amazon showed a montage in which Alexa users were seen asking an Echo smart speaker for information such as the "best dates to travel to Puerto Rico." Similar to ChatGPT or other generative AI applications, Alexa will be able to compose messages for users and send them on their behalf. As an example, Amazon showed an invitation that Alexa wrote to a friend, asking the person to come over for a football game.

Persons: Dave Limp, Limp, Alexa Organizations: Amazon.com Inc, Amazon Devices, Amazon, Alexa, Echo Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Virginia, Puerto Rico

☆ Recent updates for Amazon return to office policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Previous pronouncements about the revolutionary benefits of remote work have been replaced by vague, data-light arguments on productivity gains from being in the office. Apple, Meta, Bloomberg and Google all have gleaming HQs that would look very silly if those companies continued to embrace remote work. Insider has asked Amazon for comment on its RTO policy several times in recent months and the company has responded. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn internal guideline, obtained by Insider, listed Amazon office locations and the dates they are expected to be fully "ready" to support the RTO mandate. That's what some Amazon employees have done by mocking the company's RTO policy and its famous leadership principles.

Persons: Brad Glasser, there's, we've, Amazon's, LINDSEY WASSON, Andy Jassy, Slack, Beth Galetti, Al Drago, Paul Vixie, Andy Jassy's, Mike Hopkins, Hopkins, Elaine Thompson, snafu, they'd Organizations: Amazon, Tech, Meta, Bloomberg, Google, Seattle, Reuters, Amazon SVP, Human, Services, Company, Amazon Video Locations: Seattle, Seattle , Washington , U.S, Beth Galetti REUTERS, Seattle , New York, Houston, Austin , Texas

☆ Amazon hardware chief Dave Limp is stepping down this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Limp regularly appeared at Amazon hardware events, which are typically held each fall but sometimes occur more than once a year, to announce new products. Amazon said Limp would remain in his role for the next few months and the company will announce his successor in the coming weeks. Amazon is set to unveil new products at its annual event Sept. 20, hosted at the company's Northern Virginia headquarters, known as HQ2. "It pains me to have to deliver this news as we know we will lose talented Amazonians from the Devices & Services org as a result." In January, Limp said Amazon remains "fully committed" to the Alexa unit despite the job cuts in the division.

Persons: David Limp, Amazon's, Limp, Andy Jassy, Jassy, —, Annie Palmer Organizations: Amazon.com Inc, Amazon, CNBC, Wall Street, Devices, Services Locations: Seattle, Virginia

☆ Amazon HQ2 is not matching the original hype. The economy is partly to blame
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Scott Cohn | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

When Amazon first announced plans for a second corporate headquarters in 2017, it set off an epic bidding war. Virginia beat 237 competitors to win the project, and when it finally opened last week in the Crystal City section of Arlington, Virginia Gov. "We have high expectations because they are well placed," he told Amazon employees, "on an organization that delivers on promises made." But those promises from Amazon have changed dramatically from the original vision, which called for a $5 billion complex with 50,000 employees. Then, when local opposition blew up in New York, Amazon decided to ditch New York, put 25,000 employees in Arlington, and spread the rest among its other North American hubs.

Persons: Glenn Youngkin, there's, Holly Sullivan, Tom Stringer Organizations: Amazon, Arlington , Virginia Gov, Companies, BDO Locations: Virginia, Crystal, Arlington , Virginia, New York, States, Arlington, Queens , New York

☆ Where Amazon opens offices, free bananas follow. You can thank Jeff Bezos.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But one of its most distinct offerings is much simpler: A stand for distributing free bananas. On Thursday, during the ribbon-cutting for Metropolitan Park, the first phase of the new Virginia headquarters, the bananas were free to Amazon employees and visitors, including Virginia Gov. The idea came from Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos, who wanted to offer a free snack that was healthy and didn't come heavily packaged, Amazon told Insider. Bananas have another advantage, Amazon told Insider: You don't need to wash them before taking a bite. A banana stand also popped up temporarily at Washington DC's Union Station in 2017 as the company was facing increasing criticism from Congress, according to the New York Times.

Persons: Amazon's, Jeff Bezos, —, Glenn Youngkin Organizations: Service, Metropolitan Park, Virginia Gov, Amazon, Amazon's HQ2, Metropolitan, Washington City Business, ., Washington DC's, New York Times, Business Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Virginia, Arlington, New York City, Seattle, Bellevue, Nashville, Tokyo, Washington, DC's NoMa

☆ Why Amazon built a second headquarters and how the pandemic reshaped HQ2
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

This week, Amazon formally opened the doors of the first part of its new East Coast headquarters, dubbed HQ2, in northern Virginia. It raises the question why Amazon, with its sprawling campus in Seattle and a growing real estate footprint globally, needed to build a second headquarters. HQ2 has some of the same quirks as Amazon's Seattle campus. The towers feature plant-filled terraces and a rooftop urban farm that echoes the feel of the "Spheres," botanical gardenlike workspaces that anchor Amazon's Seattle office. Amazon's HQ2 features some of the same quirks as its Seattle headquarters, like a community banana stand.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, John Schoettler, Schoettler, John, Glenn Youngkin, Tasha Dooley, Bezos, Holly Sullivan, Sullivan, HQ2, wouldn't Organizations: Amazon, Microsoft, Puget, Seattle, Metropolitan Park, Companies, Employees Locations: Coast, Virginia, Arlington, Seattle, Redmond , Washington, HQ2, North America, New York's Long Island City, Crystal City, Arlington , Virginia, Long Island City, Nashville , Tennessee, Bellevue, There's

☆ Amazon just opened the first phase of its HQ2 project in Virginia — take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Amazon's Metropolitan Park, the first phase of its second headquarters, opened Monday. Located in Arlington, Virginia, Amazon's HQ2 will welcome more than 8,000 employees by the fall. Amazon opened Metropolitan Park on Monday, the first phase of its long-awaited second headquarters, located in Arlington, Virginia. Amazon's HQ2 features two 22-story buildings, as well as amenities like rooftop gardens, a 2.5-acre park, and a sizeable retail space. Take a look inside Amazon's Metropolitan Park:

☆ An exclusive look inside Amazon's uniquely sustainable HQ2
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The 2.1 million square feet of space includes some of the newest clean energy technology and sustainability features. The floor is made of concrete from Carbon Cure, a clean cement company funded by Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund. Starting next week, the first of 8,000 Amazon employees will begin moving into one of two brand new 22-story towers in Arlington, Virginia. Amazon's HQ2, formally called Metropolitan Park, has many features that contribute toward the company's goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2040. Hurst wouldn't say how much the sustainability features increased the cost of the development.

☆ Amazon's HQ2 delivers sustainable infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAmazon's HQ2 delivers sustainable infrastructureCNBC's Diana Olick joins 'The Exchange' to discuss Amazon's second headquarter development in Virginia, the new building's commitment to sustainable infrastructure, and Amazon's return to work policy.

☆ It took a progressive Virginia suburb 8 years to let developers build apartments instead of single-family houses. It shows how hard it is to build middle-class housing in the US.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Arlington, Virginia, is finally set to pass a "missing middle" housing policy after years of debate. Arlington is just the latest community to address missing middle housing as a part of a broader national reckoning. Across the country, critics of increasing housing density in single family neighborhoods are disproportionately older, wealthier, white homeowners. Advocates of missing middle housing say there's a deep generational gap when it comes to housing density. Despite the massive effort it took to come to the verge of passing missing middle housing, Arlington officials predict change will be slow and limited.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The Nasdaq popped last week. But tech might be in trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Nasdaq outpaced other indexes last week. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. That makes two straight months that the Nasdaq has outpaced the other indexes. Subscribe here to get this report sent directly to your inbox each morning before markets open.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The Nasdaq soared last week. But tech might be in trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Nasdaq Composite outpaced other indexes last week. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. That makes two straight months that the Nasdaq has outpaced the other indexes. Subscribe here to get this report sent directly to your inbox each morning before markets open.

☆ Amazon expansion collides with contraction
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, March 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O) rapid expansion is hitting a wall. When it comes to those trends, even Amazon can’t be too sure. But when it comes to the intersection of hiring and work-from-home trends, even Amazon doesn’t have a crystal ball. Follow @jennifersaba on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSAmazon.com is pausing the construction of its next phase of its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the company said on March 3. In 2018, Amazon awarded the Washington suburb with the promise to invest $2.5 billion and hire 25,000 workers.

☆ Amazon HQ2 Delay Isn’t a Concern, Northern Virginia Officials Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Scott Calvert | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The site of Amazon’s project in Arlington, Va., on Friday. Officials in Northern Virginia largely played down Amazon.com Inc.’s decision to pause plans for a second phase of its corporate campus in Arlington, Va., describing it as an understandable speed bump on a project already benefiting the local economy. “It really doesn’t concern me. In fact, I’m quite understanding,” said Christian Dorsey , chair of the Arlington County Board, in a call with reporters. “I think that we are still going to see all of the benefits that we envisioned…It’s just going to take a little longer to realize.”

☆ Amazon pauses construction of second headquarters in Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon HQ2 rendering showing the Helix, which includes work space, will also be open to the public select weekends every month. Amazon is pausing construction of its second headquarters, dubbed HQ2, in Virginia, the company confirmed to CNBC. John Schoettler, Amazon's real estate head, said in a statement the company is pushing out the groundbreaking of PenPlace, the second phase of the sprawling northern Virginia campus. "Our second headquarters has always been a multi-year project, and we remain committed to Arlington, Virginia, and the greater Capital Region." Amazon selected Arlington as the site of HQ2, in addition to the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, New York, as part of a closely watched, splashy search for a second headquarters that kicked off in 2017.

☆ Amazon is pausing construction on its second headquarters in Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Amazon is pausing construction on its second headquarters in northern Virginia, the company confirmed in a statement to CNN on Friday. John Schoettler, Amazon’s real estate chief, said the company is pushing back the groundbreaking of the second phase of the sprawling new headquarters. The first phase is still under construction and expected to open in June. “We’ve decided to shift the groundbreaking of PenPlace (the second phase of HQ2) out a bit,” Schoettler said in a statement. Amazon’s search for a second headquarters kicked off in 2017, spurring a major competition as local officials across the country competed for the e-commerce giant to bring jobs and other benefits to their communities.

☆ Amazon delays construction of second phase of Virginia headquarters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Amazon had earlier said the Virginia headquarters, a multi-year investment dubbed 'HQ2', would create 25,000 jobs. John Schoettler, Amazon's real estate chief, said in a statement on Friday the company was pushing out the date for groundbreaking of PenPlace, the second phase of the northern Virginia campus. Met Park comprises of two 22-story office buildings with 2.1 million square feet of office space, and a two-acre public park. Earlier this year, Amazon announced it would eliminate more than 18,000 roles, in one of its largest layoffs in history. However, the delay in construction would not mean any elimination in jobs, Amazon said.

☆ Elon Musk announces that Tesla's engineering HQ is expanding in California, over a year after moving the company's headquarters to Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that Tesla plans to expand its engineering headquarters in California. Tesla moved the company's headquarters to Texas in 2021, but still employs thousands of workers in California. Gavin Newsom that the electric-car maker plans to expand its engineering headquarters in California. The announcement comes less than two years after Musk moved Tesla's headquarters to Austin, Texas. Despite the move to Texas, the carmaker continued to produce many of its cars at the Factory in Fremont, California and it still maintains its previous company headquarters in Palo Alto.

☆ Elon Musk meets with California Gov. Newsom at Tesla's new engineering headquarters to discuss expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Yasmin Khorram | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his staff are meeting Wednesday with California Governor Gavin Newsom and touring Tesla's new engineering headquarters. As the pandemic hit in March 2020, Musk and state officials clashed over reopening the Tesla plant in Fremont, California. In 2021, following repeated threats to leave the state, Musk moved Tesla's headquarters to Austin, Texas. Since then, Musk has made his political stance clear, characterizing California as a one-party state that is burdened with overregulation and high taxes. Tesla said it had 47,000 employees in California in 2022, according to a January 2023 blog post.

☆ Amazon's AWS to invest $35 bln in Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) cloud services division said Friday it plans to invest another $35 billion by 2040 to expand data centers in Virginia. Amazon Web Services (AWS) said the new investment will create 1,000 jobs. Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin said AWS will establish multiple data center campuses across Virginia. In 2021, AWS said from 2011 to 2020 it had invested $35 billion in data centers located in northern Virginia and had 3,500 full time employees at its data centers in the state. AWS also will be eligible to receive a state grant of up to $140 million "for site and infrastructure improvements, workforce development, and other project-related costs."

☆ Companies still have way too much office space, and they can't sell it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Collin Madden, founding partner of GEM Real Estate Partners, walks through empty office space in a building they own that is up for sale in the South Lake Union neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, May 14, 2021. According to Elizabeth Ptacek, senior director of market analytics at commercial real estate information and analytics company CoStar, there is currently 232 million square feet of surplus commercial real estate up for sub-leasing. A few things we know about corporate real estate: it's a focus of cost-cutting for companies, but it's also probably the last asset you want to sell now in a soft market. It's a bad situation, but she said that for owners of corporate real estate, if the cost of real estate debt is cheap and the balance sheet is solid, sit on the real estate. Ptacek noted that after 2008, the peak in the distressed asset sales wave didn't occur until 2010/2011.

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