Amazon cancels HQ2 plans for New York City

Amazon announced Thursday that it has decided to cancel its construction project for a major new campus in New York.

After spending a year looking for a new headquarters, HQ2, Amazon announced in November the construction of two campuses of 25,000 employees, one in Long Island City, Queens, New York, and the United States. another in Arlington, Virginia. The two sites were selected from more than 200 bidders and are expected to receive a $ 2.5 billion investment from the e-commerce giant. Nashville has also been chosen to host a new "excellence center" of 5,000 people.

But the New York campus has received rapid and persistent criticism from sympathizers of local unions, New York City Council and a number of elected officials, including Senator Michael Gianaris, who represents Queens, and the representative of the United States, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"We do not intend to reopen the HQ2 search for the moment," Amazon said Thursday. "We will proceed as planned in northern Virginia and Nashville, and we will continue to hire and expand our 17 offices and technology centers in the United States and Canada."

Several protests took place against the campus project, and Amazon executives came under intense criticism at two city council meetings, during which board members put the company on the line for its largely unorganized staff and their employees. alleged work with US immigration and customs. Amazon's incentive package of about $ 3 billion was also a major concern, especially because of the gigantic size of the company and the role of its CEO, Jeff Bezos, as a as the richest person in the world.

"To defeat an unprecedented act of corporate prosperity is a triumph that should change the way we do the economic development agreements of our city and state forever," City Councilor Jimmy Van Bramer, chief critic of the city, said Thursday. project.

"Rather than responding to the legitimate concerns expressed by many New Yorkers, Amazon says you do it our way or not at all, we will not even take into account the concerns of New Yorkers – it's not not what a responsible company would do, "Chelsea said. Connor, communications director of the union's retailers, wholesalers and department stores, said Thursday in a statement.

The union has often criticized Amazon's working conditions and has partnered with Amazon storekeepers in Staten Island for the purpose of unionizing them.

"The collapse of the deal could be the inevitable result of Amazon's notoriously anti-union attempt to draw lucrative taxpayer incentives from the state's largest unionized city." said Rebecca Kolins Givan, badociate professor at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. She added that Walmart had been forced to give up coming to New York after a similar opposition from his supporters.

Mark the Road NY, a pressure group opposed to the project, called Amazon's decision "a huge victory for our community".

Despite strong opposition to the project, the company said Friday that its goal was "to mobilize our new neighbors" on the project, following reports that it was planning to withdraw from New York City. A Quinnipiac Poll December also showed strong support for the new campus, with 60% of Queens residents approving the project and 26% against.

The company also received support from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who pushed for this much-coveted project. Cuomo said last week that the opposition to the Senate seat against QG2 was a "government malpractice". James Patchett, head of New York City's Economic Development Corporation, also repeatedly emphasized the considerable benefits of the HQ2 project at board meetings, noting that this would protect New York from future recessions and would be an advantage for the city. its development as a technology. center.

Tech: NYC, a group advocating the growth of the technology sector in the city, has called Amazon's decision to "hit the local economy."

Mark Hamrick, chief economic badyst at Bankrate.com, said that Amazon was essentially giving in to local opposition and that its decision not to come would not solve long-term issues such as affordability.

"For those who do not want Amazon to bring the 25,000 new jobs promised and add economic vitality to the region: pay attention to what you want," he said.

Here is the complete statement from the company:

After careful consideration and deliberation, we decided not to realize 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 local and local elected officials, who will provide long-term support. Polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our projects and investments, but a number of local and national politicians have made it clear that they are opposed to our presence and will not work with us to establish the type of relationship needed to move forward. the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City.

We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion – we love New York, its dynamism, its people and its incomparable culture – and in particular the community of Long Island City, where we have come to know so many upbeat and leaning community leaders. before, small businesses. owners and residents. There are currently more than 5,000 Amazon employees in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island, and we plan to continue developing these teams.

We are deeply grateful to Governor Cuomo, the Mayor of Blasio, and their staff, who so enthusiastically and graciously invited us to build in New York and supported us throughout the process. Governor Cuomo and the Mayor of Blasio have worked tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers to encourage local investment and job creation, and we can not say as much about all their efforts. The commitment and unwavering dedication of these leaders to the communities they represent has inspired us from the beginning and is one of the main reasons why our decision was so difficult.

We do not intend to reopen the HQ2 search for the moment. We will proceed as planned in northern Virginia and Nashville, and we will continue to hire and expand our 17 offices and technology centers in the United States and Canada.

Thank you again to Governor Cuomo, the Mayor of Blasio and the many other community and resident leaders who have welcomed our plans and supported us throughout the process. We look forward to future opportunities for collaboration while continuing to strengthen our presence in New York over time.

First published at 8:59 PM Pacific Time.
Updated at 09:59 Pacific Time: Add more details throughout.

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