Editor’s note: The Skinny blog is written by WRAL TechWire editor and cofounder Rick Smith.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Coulda, woulda, shoulda been in the Triangle – an architectural wonder known as The Helix which Amazon unveiled Tuesday as the centerpiece of its evolving HQ2 project.

Imagine this 350-foot tall building sitting somewhere in RTP or overlooking Raleigh near the N.C. State Campus … are you frowning or smiling, sad or reliver that big project didn’t hit the Triangle like a tsunami?

But HQ2 went instead to Arlington, Va. Also lost out in North Carolina failing to land the massive project were as many as 50,000 jobs.

So look at the Helix and other buildings planned for Arlington – and dream of what might have been. RTP lost out in November, 2018, when Amazon went north. (The NYC portion of the project ended up being dropped. So New Yorkers can look too on what’s being missed.)

Rick Smith, WRAL TechWire’s editor and a cofounder, writes The Skinny.

“The Helix at our Arlington headquarters will offer a variety of alternative work environments for Amazon employees amidst lush gardens and flourishing trees native to the region,” writes John Schoettler in a blog posted by Amazon.

“A true double helix in shape and structure, this unique building will feature two walkable paths of landscaped terrain that will spiral up the outside of the building, featuring plantings you may find on a hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. And because innovative technology often derives from the intersection of art and science, we’ve planned an artist-in-residence program to be hosted within The Helix. Local artists, in collaboration with our employees, will be inspired by the nature within the building as they create their pieces.”

Amazon has been working on the Arlington site for a year now despite the pandemic. The plans disclosed Tuesday are for phase 2.

“Despite many of our employees working from home at this time, we view our Arlington headquarters as a long-term investment, and we remain committed to creating 25,000 jobs and investing $2.5 billion in Arlington over the next decade,” Schoettler writes.

Amazon already is hiring, too.

Amazons HQ2 in Arlington, Va. in a rendering provided by Amazon.

“With more than 1,600 employees and over 600 jobs open, we continue to hire in Arlington. When the public health situation improves and as regulations allow, we will continue to see value in bringing our employees together in a physical space to cross-pollinate ideas and foster collaboration,” Schoettler notes. “With our hiring and construction on pace, we’re ready for the next chapter.”

It’s called PenPlace, and the plans are big – 2.8 million square feet – and green with “LEED Platinum, the highest certification for a sustainable development issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.”

Read more here, and perhaps shed a tear or smile deeply about what the Triangle missed.