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NOTThe loss of the HQ2 project from Amazon by New York City will not be a gain for northern Virginia, at least not right away.
Arlington County and the state of Virginia are working to further modernize the housing and transit system needed to support the 25,000 jobs that the online commerce giant has already promised to create in their region, an area just south of Washington whose payroll is still dominated by the federal government.
The idea of making an effort to increase infrastructure spending and absorb 25,000 additional jobs that New York City has lost does not seem to be considered, and this is not an option offered by Amazon.
"We are focused on how we manage their growth," said Christian Dorsey, chairman of the Arlington County Board, at Washington Examiner. "This is the target we have been negotiating over these many months and they told us that nothing changed their thinking despite what they did in New York."
The goal makes sense, given that similar infrastructure issues sparked opposition in New York that ultimately derailed Amazon's plans. Complaints about already busy subways in Long Island City, where Amazon planned to implement a complex with as many jobs as its Virginia site, associated with concerns about affordable housing and the pressure on the system have been criticized by local, national and federal authorities. officials, including representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
"In general, the Arlington community understands the economic arguments for bringing Amazon here and is simply trying to ensure that there will be enough resources to manage its growth and we will not be surprised at Have to deal with unexpected consequences, "Dorsey said. I said.
Amazon, who sent staff to a few New York city council hearings before terminating the project, has already sent staff to northern Virginia, where they meet with local governments, school leaders and more than 50 non-profit groups, "said Holly Sullivan, director of the company's economic development.
"Community involvement is always important when you have a big project," Sullivan said at a meeting held Thursday night at George Mason University in Arlington. "We always want to meet more people and we want to continue to know the priorities in order to build these long-term sustainable partnerships."
"Long-term partnership" is more than a buzzword for Amazon, whose leaders told local officials during the search at headquarters 2 that their employer had become the scapegoat for all of Seattle's problems, its current seat.
They wanted to make sure that the company – one of the richest in the United States – would be really welcome in a new site, said Michael Farren, who studies the effects of government patronage on Mercatus companies. Center of George Mason.
The comments led Farren to question whether HQ2's entire strategy had been designed to give Amazon an exit from Virginia if its relations in the country continued to deteriorate. Amazon's efforts to settle in Long Island City, near the border between the Queens and Manhattan neighborhoods, come just months after a deadly battle against the Seattle government for a tax destined to help a growing homeless population.
However, in the three months following the selection of the band-filled site and its demise, New York critics worried not only about the impact of thousands of new jobs on the largest US city, but are asked why one of the world's richest companies needed Amazon tax breaks was promised.
The New York City Council has even created a Twitter hashtag, #AmazonAnswersNYC, to allow its 8.6 million residents to ask questions and comment on the deal.
His reception in Arlington County was different. The company's growth in this country will be gradual, starting with about 400 new jobs this year and 1,000 next year, Sullivan said. The ultimate goal of 25,000 people will span a period of 10 to 12 years and will create an average of only 2,000 jobs per year.
They will work at National Landing, a newly-branded neighborhood that also includes Pentagon City and Potomac Yard neighborhoods. The company will invest about $ 2.5 billion to set up operations and occupy about 4 million square feet with the possibility of doubling this amount over the next twelve years, according to county officials.
During this period, local authorities will build additional entrances for the Crystal City and Potomac Yard metro stations, a pedestrian bridge connecting Crystal City to Reagan National Airport and will invest $ 150 million in residential projects. Another $ 75 million will come from the state.
"The most important area of concern to my board is about housing resources," said Dorsey, including housing for low-income residents and those living just above or below median wage level in the region.
The proposed affordable housing programs in Arlington, Alexandra and in the state of Virginia are already superior to those of many large metropolitan areas, which are also facing rising home prices, Sullivan said. Amazon.
"It's something we want to be very conscious about," she said. We are convinced that we can rely on what they do. We want to be good partners. We want to be part of the solution. will be our employees living in Arlington. "
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