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Amazon executives have been trying to quell local fears of moving to the city. In December, two leaders attended a hearing before members of New York City Council, where lawmakers raised questions about how the company would look to hire a diverse workforce from the Queens community. in which it was installed, among other concerns. Council members expressed their anger at the deal reached and accused Amazon of proving that it was a bad neighbor.
"I see this as Walmart 2.0 and we will continue to fight because we oppose the process that led us to [this] Inez Barron, a board member, said at the December hearing, "You are ready to fight. You will fight. "
State Senator Michael Gianaris, another critical spokesperson for the deal with Amazon who was chosen last week to sit on the board of directors who would have obtained final approval of the headquarters, said that he would not see any inconvenience to the company abandoning its plans. Asked Wednesday on CNBC's Squawk channel, if it would be considered a victory if Amazon gave up its plans to build its headquarters in New York, Gianaris said: "On these terms, absolutely."
Local officials also expressed concerns about the links that would have been maintained with Amazon through its facial recognition technology. In an interview with CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Monday, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said, "We are obviously a sanctuary city and the Mayor and all of us have said that we want to be a safe haven for all immigrants. , including the undocumented … Amazon refuses to move on this issue. "
Some Amazon employees had purchased homes in the Long Island City area of Queens, even before the company announced plans to open an on-site head office, the Wall Street Journal reported. November.
In response to the announcement made by Amazon, the union of retailers, wholesalers and department stores issued a statement condemning the company's decision to withdraw from New York.
"Rather than responding to the legitimate concerns expressed by many New Yorkers, Amazon claims that you are doing it the way you want it 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, "said a RWDSU spokesperson said in a statement.
CNBC solicited comments from Bill de Blasio, Mayor of Cuomo and New York City.
Here is the complete statement:
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.
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