Details of Nashville's Deal With Amazon Revealed

Nashville was a surprise benefactor of the Amazon HQ2 announcement earlier this month. Amazon will definitely benefit from the deal as well.

1 minute read

November 25, 2018, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The Gulch

The Gulch in Nashville, pictured in September 2018. | Sharon Mollerus / Flickr

"[Tennessee] officials on Tuesday announced the deal for Amazon's Operations Center of Excellence to be housed at the new Nashville Yards development in downtown near The Gulch," reports Joey Garrison

A total of $102 million in government incentives is headed to Amazon in the deal that was a surprise twist in the HQ2 saga that culminated earlier this month.

The state of Tennessee has set a precedent for offering lucrative deals to companies in exchange for economic development opportunities. "It's one of the most lucrative state incentive packages ever for Nashville, but an amount considerably less than was awarded to Volkwagen, Nissan and Hemlock Semiconductor for other past economic development announcements in Tennessee," according to Garrison.

"The 'performance-based direct incentives' are contingent on the company creating 5,000 jobs with an average wage of more than $150,000," adds Garrison. Incentives include cash grants and job tax credits. More details of the incentives are included in the source article.

Friday, November 16, 2018 in The Tennessean

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

1 hour ago - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

2 hours ago - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

3 hours ago - Times of San Diego

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.