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After 14 months of opinions, meetings and offers of incentives and name changes, Amazon announced Tuesday that its second head office would be installed at two sites: one at Long Island City, Queens, and the other in Arlington, Virginia. smaller operations and logistics facility in Nashville.
Here are some details that you may have missed in all covers:
Amazon has reunited Cuomo and Blasio together
The company's leaders flew to New York just to establish that Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio could put aside their longstanding differences.
Although the two men clashed in all areas, from subway to deer handling, they were all smiling Tuesday. "I know him so well, it's just more open and verbal," said Cuomo. "Be it good or bad."
The New York Accord promises a helipad to Jeff Bezos
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will be able to get to work by flying over the East River – where kayakers are now windsurfing. Office buildings will increase and make room for 25,000 workers. How can this happen so fast? The state and the city will bypass the municipal council, which has the power to block rezoning and land-use planning.
Crystal City is easily accessible from one of the homes of Bezos.
He already owns a huge house near the site of Arlington – a former textile museum located in the prosperous Kalorama district, northwest of Washington, Mexico, just a few miles away. But he has not visited – and has not toured yet – this site or Queens. The company's executives conducted the selection process in both states.
Northern Virginia Agreement Means New Name: National Landing
Amazon's offices will extend into parts of the Pentagon and Alexandria neighborhoods. Local officials renamed the two-and-a-half-mile urban stretch, connected by three subway stations along the Potomac, to a new neighborhood called National Landing.
It will rejuvenate a place filled with dated office buildings developed in the 1970s for military contractors. Part of this space is empty since the reorganization of the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks.
The rebranding has already triggered a conversation on social media.
Even Andrew Cuomo was ready to change his name
Mr Cuomo said that he was doing everything possible to attract Amazon.
"I'm going to change my name to Amazon Cuomo if that's right, "Cuomo said. "Because it would be a great economic boost."
Amazon will not need a sign in New York
It will take approximately one million square feet in the 50-story Citicorp building located in Long Island City. A debate took place on the possible replacement of the Citi logo by the company, visible from Manhattan. But Amazon is not interested in a sign. Alicia Glen, Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, said the region is known as Anable Basin: "I guess they'll call it the Amazon Basin."
A giant cactus has not been a success
What do you give to a man who is one of the richest people in the world? Tucson business leaders attempted to send Mr. Bezos a 21-foot cactus. The plant has been restored – it would still have suffered in the Seattle rain. The mayor of Frisco, Texas, offered the chance to get a Jamba juice and contract the "Frisco Flu". Canada's offer was only Canada.
New York and Virginia have paid the big price – maybe too much
As stated above, New York has promised Amazon at least $ 1.7 billion in incentives. Virginia has pledged incentives worth $ 573 million, including $ 550 million in grants.
Economists have long criticized tax incentives as ineffective and unnecessary measures leaving less money for education and public works. In total, both sites offered more than $ 2 billion in tax credits, rebates and other incentives to Amazon.
Bryce Covert, an opinion writer who contributed to the survey, also notes that the lucrative contracts awarded to Amazon could mean that other cities will expect similar treatment when they try to settle.
Amazon will be a neighbor of the country's largest housing project
In New York, the company will be close to Queensbridge Houses, the largest social housing complex in the United States. The buildings house a predominantly black and Hispanic population with a median household income well below the federal poverty line. Local residents have expressed concern that jobs at Amazon would not be open to them. Amazon has promised training and internship programs and participate in job fairs in the housing complex.
New businesses in Long Island City are already transforming the semi-industrial waterfront and are using well-funded professionals, raising fears that increased gentrification will increase costs.
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