Report: Amazon Reconsidering NYC Headquarters
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Amazon is reconsidering its plan to open its second headquarters in Long Island City, according to a report in the Washington Post.
Word that they may be reconsidering the controversial deal comes after opposition by local lawmakers and scrutiny of the deal from the City Council.
Queens St. Senator Michael Gianaris, a vocal opponent who has said the deal should die, was nominated by Senate Democrats to head a state board that has the power to kill the project.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo lured Amazon to Long Island City with $3 billion in tax breaks. He has furiously defended the tax breaks as justified to lure Amazon’s 25,000 jobs. Cuomo believes that translates into $30 billion in revenue from Amazon in exchange for $3 billion in incentives.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has also been a vocal supporter of the deal.
“The mayor fully expects Amazon to deliver on its promise to New Yorkers,” de Blasio spokesman Eric Phillips said Friday.
“We must be an international tech capital. This is the way we defend the future of this city,” Mayor Bill de Blasio previously said.
Gianaris, who represents Long Island City where Amazon wants to build a new campus, wants the deal nixed.
“I definitely think this deal should be stopped,” he said. “The deal that was constructed is so bad I do not believe it can form the basis of a negotiation.”
According to the Washington Post, Amazon executives have been discussing reassessing the deal and look into possible alternatives.
“The question is whether it’s worth it if the politicians in New York don’t want the project, especially with how people in Virginia and Nashville have been so welcoming,” one person familiar with Amazon’s discussions told the Post.
“We’re focused on engaging with our new neighbors – small business owners, educators, and community leaders. Whether it’s building a pipeline of local jobs through workforce training or funding computer science classes for thousands of New York City students, we are working hard to demonstrate what kind of neighbor we will be,” an Amazon spokeswoman said Friday.
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February 08, 2019 at 11:42PM
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