The actual work of renovating the vacant former home of Discovery Communications in downtown Silver Spring is about to begin in earnest. New landlord Foulger Pratt has formally requested permits from Montgomery County for demolition and construction at the property, which is located at 1 Discovery Place. This set of permits includes interior alterations to the lobby, an addition, a fitness center, and demolition inside a cafe. Discovery
relocated the bulk of operations here to Knoxville, Tennessee in 2018.
Reminder - the executive jobs went to high-tax, ultra-urban Manhattan. Knoxville got the low-wage back office jobs.
ReplyDelete12:53: A handful of execs went to their existing NYC office. The rest - the vast majority - went to Knoxville.
DeleteI work for Discovery; you don't know what you're talking about. Nearly a thousand of us are staying in the DMV (Silver Spring and NoVa), some are moving to TN, and the rest to NYC. TN's workforce is LESS than their previous Scripps count; some SSers have transplanted, but hundreds of Scripps employees were laid off. NYC and NoVa are the only US locations seeing more Discovery jobs than they had pre-merger.
Delete4:47: I know what I'm talking about in disputing the MoCo cartel's fake talking point that "Discovery relocated to NYC, and therefore it had nothing to do with our incompetent officials, high taxes and burdensome regulations, blah, blah, blah."
DeleteWhatever Scripps employees there are now is a separate issue; the important fact is that many more jobs were sent to Knoxville than New York when this move took place.
All of the articles published at that time, and statements by Discovery themselves, emphasized the lower cost of living of Knoxville.
Except, in reality, Discovery relocated to NYC. That's where our HQ is - period. DISC signed for 250,000 sqft of new space in NYC to accommodate the influx of staff. They signed for zero sqft in TN because there was a net REDUCTION in TN-based staff. They signed for 60,000 sqft in SS because the size of the previous HQ (which was half empty by the time the NYC relocation was announced) wasn't necessary. These are basic facts. I'm aware of your usual and unfortunate "la la la, I can't hear you" response to facts.
Delete12:17: And how many jobs/employees from Silver Spring went to NYC vs. to Knoxville and Sterling?
Delete"A handful of execs went to their existing NYC office"
DeleteThey leased 300,000 SF in extremely expensive Manhattan for a handful of executives?
12:09: Back to topic - at the point when Discovery publicly announced the relocation, how many jobs went from Silver Spring to NYC, and how many went to Knoxville or Sterling?
DeleteThe issue of space leased in NYC is not relevant, because we're talking about how many jobs were at Silver Spring, and to which new locations those jobs moved to.
In New York, they are doing all kinds of stuff; Silver Spring was more of an operational/administrative office. Which is why more jobs went to Knoxville than to NYC. The County Council hoped everyone would join them in believing that Shark Week was filmed in giant tanks on the sixth floor of the Discovery building. They know about as much about TV as they do about the world of business.
Apparently you forgot about the DCTC on Kennett Street, which was "home to Discovery’s 50,000-square-foot, world-class Production Center, housing 5 Pro Tools suites, 56 AVID’s, 3 Quantel 3D suites, over 150 decks, and, most importantly, a staff and freelance community of over 100 creative professionals. Last year through 27,000 scheduled edit and audio sessions, Discovery editors touched over 10,000 programs like How It's Made on Science Channel, 16,000 promos and 12,000 international versions, creating content for Discovery's more than 216 networks around the globe."
DeleteSo much for your "no content was being produced in Silver Spring!" argument.
Heckuva job, Brownie!
1:32: We've got a regular Mitch Gaylord on our hands here, folks.
DeleteKeep rolling and twisting, and moving the goalposts, but we're still talking about the Discovery building, and how many jobs numerically were moved to Knoxville/Sterling vs. how many numerically went to NYC.
Regarding your latest digression from that debate, promos and other bits being produced for Discovery's channels are not the actual programs for Shark Week, etc., which were never produced in Silver Spring and are largely from independent third-party production companies elsewhere in the country.
9:00: For still believing sharks are swimming in giant tanks at 1 Discovery Place, YOU are the idiot, old sport.
"Discovery editors touched over 10,000 programs like How It's Made on Science Channel, 16,000 promos and 12,000 international versions..."
DeleteMeaning that aside from the promos, the content was going through the editing process at the DCTC.
Keep deflecting and name-calling, you're just making yourself look more and more stupid.
7:33: Not only am I a very stable genius with a very large brain, but I'm the one who has stayed on topic and am winning the debate.
DeleteThe sooner we all acknowledge that the MoCo cartel suffered a humiliating loss of prestige and treasure by fumbling the Discovery renewal, the better, for the good of Montgomery County. Once our public officials are held accountable, and are appropriately punished, we can get started on replacing them with people like me who actually understand the world of international business in the year 2019.
Reminder 2 - still 450+ Discovery employees in Silver Spring.
ReplyDeleteWhere in SS are these 450+ doesnt make sense or add up since the entire property is vacant. Where are they?
Delete4:55: LOL. Authorities have been attempting to locate them for months, and continue to search at this hour.
DeleteDiscovery is no longer @ the Discovery building; the remaining workforce moved into 60K sqft @ 8403 Colesville Rd. Sorry if facts are unwelcome here and only dumb Dyer snark is allowed.
DeleteFoulger-Pratt is a real estate juggernaut. The last thing Silver Spring needs is another highrise "luxury" apartment. I'm willing to bet Solaire2 and Thayer and Spring won't be at full capacity for years to come.
ReplyDelete?? Discovery building is remaining an office building. What are you talking about?? Children's Hospital HQ has already signed a lease for a large chunk of it even before renovations begin.
Delete"Not only am I a very stable genius with a very large brain, but I'm the one who has stayed on topic and am winning the debate."
ReplyDeleteSure, in your own head, as you delete comments to fit your twisted narrative.