When Will Microsoft Learn?
by Joe Pulcinella
Just saw yet another article about how horrible Microsoft is. In this one, they plan on offering 10,000-20,000 new jobs in the near future. Oh, the pain of it all! If only Redmond would bring in a pro sports team or two. That would really cause the local economy to soar, huh? Which would you rather have move into your neighborhood? Let's compare.
Residents from Bellevue's Bridle Trails and Sherwood Forest neighborhoods, which are near Microsoft's Redmond campus, voiced concerns over the company's proposed 2.2-million-square-foot expansion.
Gee, I don't recall the citizens of South Philadelphia being called upon to voice their opinions over the proposed stadiums in their neighborhood.
The new development would include about 16 new buildings and accompanying parking garages, and would allow the company to hire 10,000 to 20,000 new employees, said Jim Stanton, Microsoft's senior community-affairs manager for real estate and facilities.
Hmm, about the best that the Phillies and Eagles new stadii could muster falls well below that. It falls even below their own estimates.
As part of the proposal, Microsoft would agree to fund about $30 million in transportation and infrastructure improvements. The largest chunk of cash — $15 million — would go toward a bridge extending Northeast 36th Street over Highway 520, said Rob Odle, Redmond's policy planning manager.
Wow, seems much more generous that the amount that the Philly sports teams put up which I believe was up to and including zero dollars. All we got was a promise that revenues would overflow from all the economic activity generated by civic pride in our sports teams.
Microsoft would also pay to install new traffic signals near the campus and improve stormwater basins, Odle said.
I'm no environmental expert but last time I visited the Philly Stadium Complex, it resembled a huge, concrete rainwater funnel putting moisture that would have gone back into the ground into the Delaware River instead.
Microsoft already owns the land it is proposing to develop, and even if the City Council were to reject the development agreement, the company could keep developing the campus in a piecemeal way, Stanton said.
You mean their not going to coerce the city to simply take it from rightful owners? Microsoft is so backward unlike our forward-thinking developers around Pittsburg who saw a nifty hunk of land that would look good with a stadium on it. Nevermind that there were already families living there.
Microsoft's proposal shows the company is committed to staying in the city and the Puget Sound region, Brad Smith, Microsoft senior vice president, told the council.
"We recognize we need to be a good neighbor," Smith said.
Doofuses! They really ought to get with the program and keep the city elders on their toes by threatening to move out every few years like, um, pro sports teams!
Overall, I think Microsoft has a few things to learn from the weathered, old birds from the big cities. Otherwise, they'll never turn a profit!