Secrecy surrounding Amazon HQ2 bid will help Pittsburgh win, CEO says
Amazon has told Pittsburgh officials that their refusal to publicly release any details about the region’s finalist bid for the online retailer’s second headquarters has been a point in their favor, one of those officials said.
“They’ve said to us ... ‘We’ve really enjoyed working with Pittsburgh because you’ve actually done this under the radar and had an authentic conversation,’” said Stefani Pashman, chief executive officer of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, which is helping sell the region to the Seattle-based company.
The secrecy surrounding Pittsburgh’s bid for an Amazon headquarters has drawn criticism from transparency advocates. A vocal group of Amazon opponents has raised concerns about possible spikes in housing prices, strains on transportation and roads, and the lack of public control over how such a large amount of tax incentives are spent.
Officials have also clashed with the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, which classified the bid as a public document in January. Officials have appealed that ruling.
While some of the other 19 finalists have released details of their bids to lure the online retailer — which is promising 50,000 jobs and some $5 billion in investment over a period up to 17 years — Pittsburgh-area officials have repeatedly urged patience.
In a recent interview, Ms. Pashman defended the process.
Nondisclosure agreements between companies and local officials are common practice, she said, and the Amazon bid is following the same path as any other development coordinated by the Allegheny Conference, which promotes economic development across 10 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.
While she understands the public’s frustration with a veil being over the negotiations and site visits, which occurred earlier this year, she is convinced
the tough questions about community impacts could be hashed out publicly after Amazon makes its decision.
“Once the veil is lifted and if this actually moves forward, we anticipate that’s what this is gonna be about: How can Amazon work for Pittsburgh?” Ms. Pashman said. “How do we mitigate some of the challenges we see in Seattle? And how do make sure growth isn’t just for the sake of growth, but for the improvement of the region?”
Amazon, she believes, has received that message.
“We really had that conversation that they would come here in a partnership way,” she said.
Just days after taking over at the Allegheny Conference in October, Ms. Pashman stood alongside Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald as the region officially submitted its proposal to Amazon. The challenge was to convince Amazon to choose Pittsburgh over virtually every U.S. city while also convincing skeptical public that joining a high-profile competition to lure one gigantic companyis a good thing.
Asked in an interview to do the reverse — to sell Amazon to the skeptical public — she said the company presents an unprecedented opportunity.
“Look, one of the things that has dragged Pittsburgh down right now is our lack of growth,” Ms. Pashman said. “Amazon affords us an opportunity to grow — and to growour tax base.
“And when you grow your tax base, you have resources available to invest back into solving problems — like strengthening our schools, improving opportunities for more affordable housing, improving infrastructure. That’s exactly what our region needs to be stronger.”
Daniel Moore: dmoore@post-gazette.com, 412-263-2743 and Twitter @PGdanielmoore.
Coming soon: The PostGazette’s complete interview with Stefani Pashman, as she explains her plan to make the historic regional group more open to new voices and more tied in to regional needs.