Quicken Loans Founder Dan Gilbert addressed the "conventional belief" that a lack of talent and transportation was the reason that Detroit did not make Amazon's next round.
Was it really a shortage of 'talent' that left Detroit off of the Amazon HQ2 shortlist? No. The 'Elephant in the Room' is the culprit. Here is the email I sent to the 60+ member Amazon Detroit Bid Committee of public & private leaders from MI & Canada: https://t.co/9gHsTZCZE1
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) January 24, 2018
"It's simply untrue that there is a talent crisis or shortage of talent in our region," he said in an email to the Amazon Detroit Bid Committee.
While he acknowledged that a lack of transportation was a "gating-issue" in Amazon's decision-making process, he argued that cities that made the list are also missing adequate mass transit.
"You may be asking yourself: 'If Detroit scored well on most other criteria, then why would the lack of mass transportation alone eliminate us from making the top 20?'" he asked in the email.
Gilbert stated that Detroit is still dealing with a reputational fallout, and that is the single largest obstacle it faces.
Read the full email below:
The Elephant in the Room by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
