Amazon's impact on jobs may not be immediate, but DC leaders are still enthusiastic



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While regional leaders are excited that Amazon is setting up new offices in the Washington area, that does not mean that workers will begin to invade Crystal City and Pentagon City tomorrow.

WASHINGTON – Regional leaders are excited that Amazon is setting up new offices in the Washington DC area, but that does not mean that workers will start swarming tomorrow in Crystal City and Pentagon City.

"I do not think Amazon will have as much impact on the region in a long time," said Jack Evans, a board member and chairman of Metro's board of directors.

Crystal City has many empty office spaces after the realignment and closure of the base and other changes in recent years.

"The place is practically empty," Evans said. "Amazon is not going to bring 25,000 people immediately, they will adapt to that. So I think it will be great for Crystal City because you will start to put more people in these buildings. But in terms of the impact on the region, I do not see it at all for a long time. "

Nevertheless, the leaders of Metro and elsewhere in the region are only reinforcing their tendency to cite Amazon as a reason to support all kinds of improvements, some of which have been in demand for years by less influential people.

"With Amazon, I think this budget of the 1920s has taken on a new dimension, as we begin to prepare for what will happen in the region," said Metro Managing Director Paul Wiedefeld.

"The area is changing very quickly around us, and public transit will play an important role in this process, and we need to take the lead," he told Metro Council Thursday.

Christian Dorsey, a member of Arlington County and Metropolitan Region's Board of Directors, echoed other praise for metropolitan solutions, either already implemented or under development, as critical to the conclusion of the contract.

"The fact that we demonstrated last year that this region could really face big problems, especially the subway, was decisive for the choice to come to our area. This same level of cooperation will be tested to find housing, for transportation challenges, "Dorsey said.

He pointed out that Amazon was traveling to his country of origin.

"Amazon is headquartered in Arlington, and all that is happening at National Landing is actually nothing but describing the area … but they plan to occupy the existing neighborhoods of Pentagon City and Crystal City, which are in Arlington "says Dorsey.


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