It probably would cost amazon less to buy 10 potential properties and resell 9 of them, than to announce their intentions and then attempt to buy their chosen property.
In Atlanta, we already learned that lesson by announcing the BeltLine (mixed use alternative transit development corridor around the city) before acquiring any of the land. A decade later, after court battles involving the city purchasing land via the Board of Education in order to prevent further price gouging, we still don't have all the land needed, and only ~10% of the project is completed.
- Westside (superfund site from concrete operations)
- Jail/Aarons Amp
- Union city area.