John Kane: Government must ‘lead the efforts’ to land Amazon HQ2

John Kane, the mastermind behind the continuing evolution of Raleigh’s North Hills into one of the southeast’s premier multi-use developments, sees the Triangle as being a legitimate contender for Amazon’s mammoth HQ2 project. But he also says government has to take the lead in wooing Jeff Bezos and company for the deal.

Kane, who heads Kane Realty and chairs the Research Triangle Regional Partnership which has undergone considerable reorganization under his guidance. shared his excitement and thinking about the $5 billion project Amazon launched last week.

“The Governor, Secretary of Commerce and EDPNC [Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina] need to lead the efforts along with private sector leadership providing information as needed,” Kane explained to The Skinny.

The Skinny contacted Kane for multiple reasons, from his current post at the RTRP to his own role as one of this retion’s top developers.

“RTRP does not handle the site selection process with prospects,” Kane pointed out.

“However, we are most interested in pursuing this opportunity through EDPNC and any local economic developers that would meet Amazon’s criteria.”

The Triangle seems to be an ideal landing spot for such a project, given parameters set by Amazon, as WRAL TechWire reported about extensively last week.

Does Kane agree?

“I agree completely,” he replied.

“The talent pool in the area is compelling for the Amazon mission.”

To land such a project would mean a great deal to the Triangle, Kane noted.

“This project would be a huge catch for the area and our state and would have ongoing economic benefits for many years.”

And Amazon HQ2 appeals to Kane’s developer instincts as well.

“This type of project would be a tremendous opportunity to work on,” Kane said, “as they are looking for a work and living environment that would appeal to a highly educated and qualified work force that would demand high-level execution.”