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Amazon announced Thursday that it was withdrawing from its construction project for a second seat in New York, citing the opposition of some politicians and the state.
In a statement, the company said "after much thought and thought," that it decided not to proceed with its plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens.
According to the statement, a recent poll showed that 70% of New Yorkers wanted the project, but according to Amazon, "a number of local and state politicians have made it clear that they are only going to get it. opposed our presence and would not work with us. "
Governor Andrew Cuomo had conceived the agreement with the Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio. But it has been criticized by residents, progressive groups and politicians representing the region, including MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. They opposed the nearly $ 3 billion grant awarded to the company, led by Jeff Bezos, one of the world's richest men.
One of these opponents is the Senate Majority Leader, Michal Gianaris, whose district included the site proposed by Amazon. He said that Amazon was arrogant and acted like a tyrant. He added that they did not take into account the needs of the community, including adequate public transit and the need for more schools and affordable housing.
"What happened today is that the people of New York got up," Gianaris said.
He said the community had many unanswered questions about the project.
"And instead of dealing with these issues responsibly," said Gianaris, "Amazon has taken off and left the city."
Leader of the Democratic Senate, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, recommended this month to a key supervisory board that would have the authority to approve or reject parts of the project, saying the project might be derailed.
Progressive groups opposed to the deal, including Make the Road, called Amazon's decision "a historic victory for our communities."
Cuomo did not comment publicly, but issued a statement in which he expressed his deep disappointment. He said that "a small group of politicians place their own political interests above their community."
The governor warned that they "should be held responsible" for the loss of a project that would have generated 25,000 "well-paid" jobs and nearly $ 30 billion in new revenue.
Tensions between Democrat Cuomo and the Democratic majority in the newly formed Senate have been legion, and differences on Amazon have uncovered these divisions.
Business groups have also expressed dismay at Amazon's decision. Kathryn Wylde of the New York City Partnership said that Amazon's constant criticism was sending a "terrible message to job creators in the city and the world."
Mr Gianaris said he hoped that the failure of the Amazon agreement would be a turning point for large taxpayer-financed grants to the wealthiest companies. He said it was an "important moment" for New York and the nation.
"There is an example after example where public dollars are wasted and given to the most gigantic corporations among us," said Gianaris. "And disaster after disaster follows."
At the same time, communities in the north of the state that were unsuccessfully fighting over the new headquarters asked society to take a second look at their regions. Broome County Executive Jason Garner of the economically troubled Southern Tier issued a letter inviting the company to visit.
But Amazon has indicated that it does not intend to reopen its research at this time and will continue its expansion plans in Virginia and Nashville as well as other sites across the country.
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