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New York's Long Island City neighborhood was one of two places chosen by Amazon last year after a long search for a second seat or "HQ2".
The online giant promised that the sprawling complex would create 25,000 new jobs in exchange for nearly $ 3 billion in state and city incentives – which had bothered some in the community.
"Although polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investments, 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 relationships needed to go forward with the project, "Amazon said in a statement.
"We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion – we love New York, its unmatched dynamism, its people and its culture – and especially the community of Long Island City, where we have come to know so many upbeat community leaders. and looking to the future., small business owners and residents. "
Amazon said that she "would continue to develop" her workforce in New York, which numbers some 5,000 people.
No new bids
The company said it would not reopen the bidding process but "would proceed as planned" with a head office located in northern Virginia and a logistics center in Nashville, in the US. Tennessee.
He added that he "will continue to recruit and develop its 17 offices and technology centers in the United States and Canada."
Mayor Bill De Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo approved the New York plan, but local politicians and community activists strongly opposed it, including newly elected Democrat Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district borders the New York site.
Conservatives and liberal opponents of the agreement argued that "Amazon does not need what some describe as" business welfare ".
In addition to complaints about the extent of the incentives, critics have expressed concern that promised jobs could inflate an already overpriced housing market and weigh heavily on infrastructure.
The first reactions of the local community to Amazon's decision seemed mixed.
"I am relieved because I am a tenant here," said a resident, who refused to give her name. "I'm not sure these jobs would have been what people in this community need."
But others, like David Katzen, who owns a construction company in the neighborhood but does not live there, were disappointed.
"It was a horrible decision on the part of local lawmakers to oppose it," he told AFP. "It was a short-term vision and finally, what's going to happen here? Nothing. There's nothing good about that."
Amazon, the dominant online retail giant that also operates services in the fields of cloud computing, streaming media and artificial intelligence, has begun looking for a new headquarters, stating that he was getting too big for his current seat in Seattle, Washington State.
Chelsea Connor of the union of retailers, wholesalers and department stores, who had protested against the subsidies offered to Amazon, blamed the company for being withdrawn instead of renegotiating the deal.
"Rather than responding to legitimate concerns voiced by many New Yorkers, Amazon says you act in our own way or not at all, we will not even take into account the concerns of New Yorkers. what a responsible company would do, "Connor said.
Scott Galloway, a professor and author at New York University, said on Twitter after the announcement: "Immunities come into play and New York finds its testicles." It's good for New York and New York. America: Billionaires should not have the outstretched hand. "
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