Amazon Dumps NYC On Valentines Day
The sweet Amazon deal to invest $5 billion and 25,000 jobs in New York City went sour on February 14th. The Seattle-based internet shopping giant bailed out of its deal to build its second headquarters in the nation’s largest metro area.
Protests and concerns over tax breaks, union jobs, gentrification, and affordable housing were among the opposition to Amazon’s proposed new HQ2 in Long Island City. After failed negotiations, a spokesperson for Amazon released a statement to media outlets on Valentines day.
“After much thought and deliberation, we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens. 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. While polls show that 70 percent of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City… ” the company said in a prepared statement to CNN.
The original deal to build Amazon’s HQ2 included a long campaign of interviewing cities and analyzing the greatest location and economic benefits to the company. New York City and Northern Virginia were announced as the chosen cities in November 2018.
New York City’s political and community leaders went on social media to express disappointment with the company, while analysts and journalists cast the shadow of blame for failed negotiations.
