via Amazon
Feb. 14, 2019 By Nathaly Pesantez
Amazon has pulled out of its plans to build a campus in Long Island City, the company said today in a bombshell announcement.
The e-commerce giant released a lengthy statement on its blog earlier this morning that said the reasoning was tied to the opposition the project faced since the official HQ2 announcement in November.
“For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term,” the statement reads.
Amazon referred to polls that showed strong support for the Anable Basin campus and the deal that brought it to the table, but said the staunch opposition, especially by state and local politicians, made it clear that the project was doomed.
“We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion—we love New York, its incomparable dynamism, people, and culture—and particularly the community of Long Island City, where we have gotten to know so many optimistic, forward-leaning community leaders, small business owners, and residents,” the company said.
Amazon thanked Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who supported the project from the start and spoke to the benefits it would bring to New York’s livelihood and vitality.
“Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have worked tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers to encourage local investment and job creation, and we can’t speak positively enough about all their efforts.” Amazon said. “The steadfast commitment and dedication that these leaders have demonstrated to the communities they represent inspired us from the very beginning and is one of the big reasons our decision was so difficult.”
The company said it does not intend to reopen the HQ2 search at this time, and will proceed as planned in Virginia and Nashville.
This is a developing story, check back for more information.
For complete Amazon coverage, please go to LICPost.com
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22 Comments
This Cortez character is like the Trump of the left. A complete idiot who says anything with little understanding. With her and her ilk around, we may yet get Trump again for another 4 years. It’s like identity politics (which got trump elected) plus extra helpings of stupidity.
Ocasio-Cortez is finished.
Her district doesn’t include LIC, but don’t let facts interrupt your narrative.
Bye Amazon!
Can you be more specific on what a job would be for people in the area? Engineer? Healthcare IT?, Web Developer? Doctor? Investment Banker? I’m not sure what you mean.
It is “corporate welfare” so to speak but it would have brought dollars to the local economy. But I do not think it is greedy to try and get a large company to move to “your” city. People need to earn a living.
Even if what you are saying is accurate , meaning they would “import their own people” (which we really have no way to verify now)…those people spend money on food, drinks, restaurants , supermarkets, dog walkers, cleaning person, baby sisters….etc. Those people pay sales, local and state taxes.
Companies also hire people to do things like paint, repair office equipment..etc.
No loss. The 50,000 jobs was simply a marketing ploy to see which state would offer the biggest tax breaks. Amazon was never going to add all those jobs anyway and few of those jobs will pay the amount of money they claim.
To be fair this is a very mediocre result. Adding an Amazon campus to LIC would be a good thing, but only if they were a partner willing to engage and enrich the community. The cut-and-run tactics from Amazon is proof they were not serious about making a home here. I’m disappointed at the result and upset at Amazon for lacking conviction.
I do not believe they pulled out because of pressure from some politicians. They had the backing of the mayor and the governor (the only two people they needed)! They probably realized that they could still build out their location without calling it HQ2 and without having to commit to this type of job or that type of job.
This is not a small city. NYC would not have become controlled by Amazon. Having a leading company head quartered in your city can bring in a lot of jobs.
Construction jobs, tech jobs, cleaning service jobs, people go to lunch, people buy things on their break, people travel to the HQ for meetings which means more people use the train or car services.
Do many of you people not want jobs and jobs with future companies? I do think 3 billion for a rich company is a little off but sales tax and income tax could make up for it quickly with a company like this.
I tried to hit the dislike button on several comments, but could only hit the like button! Anyway, it was all corporate welfare. Those jobs were not for people in the area. Amazon was importing their own people into an area whose infrastructure and transportation could not possibly support them, meanwhile ruining the nature of the area. We are not Little Manhattan, though developers are trying for that. Trump has made everyone think in terms of greed.
Can you be more specific on what a job would be for people in the area? Engineer? Healthcare IT?, Web Developer? Doctor? Investment Banker? I’m not sure what you mean.
It is “corporate welfare” so to speak but it would have brought dollars to the local economy. But I do not think it is greedy to try and get a large company to move to “your” city. People need to earn a living.
Even if what you are saying is accurate , meaning they would “import their own people” (which we really have no way to verify now)…those people spend money on food, drinks, restaurants , supermarkets, dog walkers, cleaning person, baby sisters….etc. Those people pay sales, local and state taxes.
Companies also hire people to do things like paint, repair office equipment..etc.
What do you mean “local”? There are 8 million “locals” in NYC!
Are you referring to Queensbridge? If someone in Queensbridge had the skills and applied, why wouldn’t they get a job!?
Plus, the Amazon HQ wouldn’t have fully come to fruition for 10 YEARS! If someone wanted one of those coveted $150k jobs, they had 10 years to prepare.
What would be jobs for people in the area?
Way to go Oscar Cortez! Way to go! Who needs progress and jobs!
GOOD. Their plans were shifty and their promises were hollow. We don’t need them or their overpriced real estate boom.
You are all hypocrites
LIC was a ghetto 20 years ago
No it was going to hit prime time which would have put Astoria on the map
I’m a moderate in my politics your extreme views are stupid narrow minded and not progressing with the times
Giannaris will never be reelected
He should leave Astoria
I agree. I think of myself as pretty liberal but I feel like this reactionary hate for any big business will do more harm then good in the long run. They aren’t perfect but all or nothing isn’t the way to go.
Who needs all of those jobs when you can mooch off the government, right?
“all of those jobs” weren’t going to anyone local. amazon paid $0 in taxes this year. they weren’t going to help anything or anyone but themselves but go ahead and dream of the millions you thought you’d make off this deal.
What do you mean “‘all of those jobs’ weren’t going to anyone local”?
There are 8 million “locals” in NYC.
Why wouldn’t they go to anyone local ?
wrong (and sad)
Sen. Michael Gianaris and your buddy Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer really F*&K$$ this up