Amazon has informed New York that it is pulling out of its plans to build a corporate campus in Long Island City in the borough of Queens, N.Y., a project that promised billions of dollars in investment and at least 25,000 high-paying jobs.
The tech giant faced considerable opposition to its plans, specifically about the nearly $3 billion in government incentives it would have received, but also about political and land-use concessions the city and state had agreed to make in order to lure Amazon, whose search for its “HQ2” location that attracted bids form 238 cities.
Under the plan it is now abandoning, Amazon, over a 15-year period, could have occupied as much as eight million sf of office space that could have accommodated up to 40,000 workers, according to the New York Times.
Amazon’s decision is seen as a major defeat for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio, who championed the effort to forge a deal with Amazon.
In its prepared statement announcing its decision Amazon thanked Cuomo and DeBlasio for their efforts, but also stated that “a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City.”
It wasn’t just elected officials, though, who opposed Amazon’s plan. Typical of many of the responses posted on the Times’ website, following the news of Amazon’s decision, was this from one reader, identified as AL O:
So, you bypass the democratic process and cut a backroom deal that has you taking billions in public money for nothing more than the promise of jobs you may create, and then you're “surprised” when the local people whose rights you bypassed object to the terms of that deal? So, rather than standing your ground and explaining yourself, or perhaps renegotiating the deal a bit to make your neighbors around your proposed facility somewhat happier, you just panic and take your ball and go home crying? It doesn't sound like Amazon was ready for New York.
However, Kathryn Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City, thought that the negative reaction that Amazon received upon its choice of Long Island City, and the company’s subsequent withdrawal from that decision, sends “a pretty bad message to job creators of the city and the world.”
Amazon says it has no immediate plans to reopen its HQ2 search. It will continue with its plans to build a corporate campus in Northern Virginia and other buildings in Nashville.
Related Stories
Sustainability | Dec 22, 2023
WSP unveils scenario-planning online game
WSP has released a scenario-planning online game to help organizations achieve sustainable development goals while expanding awareness about climate change.
Giants 400 | Dec 20, 2023
Top 160 Apartment and Condominium Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, Humphreys and Partners, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, and AO top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest apartment building and condominium architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 20, 2023
Top 90 Student Housing Architecture Firms for 2023
Niles Bolton Associates, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, BKV Group, and Humphreys and Partners Architects top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest student housing facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Healthcare Facilities | Dec 19, 2023
A new hospital in Duluth, Minn., is now the region’s largest healthcare facility
In Duluth, Minn., the new St. Mary’s Medical Center, designed by EwingCole, is now the largest healthcare facility in the region. The hospital consolidates Essentia Health’s healthcare services under one roof. At about 1 million sf spanning two city blocks, St. Mary’s overlooks Lake Superior, providing views on almost every floor of the world’s largest freshwater lake.
Government Buildings | Dec 19, 2023
New Pennsylvania State Archives building holds documents dating back to 1680
Work was recently completed on a new Pennsylvania State Archives building in Harrisburg, Penn. The HGA-designed, 146,000-sf facility offers numerous amenities, including computers, scanners, printers, a kitchenette with seating, lockers, a meeting room, a classroom, an interactive video wall, gallery, and all-gender restrooms. The features are all intended to provide a welcoming and comfortable environment for visitors.
Urban Planning | Dec 18, 2023
The impacts of affordability, remote work, and personal safety on urban life
Data from Gensler's City Pulse Survey shows that although people are satisfied with their city's experience, it may not be enough.
MFPRO+ News | Dec 18, 2023
Berkeley, Calif., raises building height limits in downtown area
Facing a severe housing shortage, the City of Berkeley, Calif., increased the height limits on residential buildings to 12 stories in the area close to the University of California campus.
Green | Dec 18, 2023
Class B commercial properties gain more from LEED certification than Class A buildings
Class B office properties that are LEED certified command a greater relative benefit than LEED-certified Class A buildings, according to analysis from CBRE. The Class B LEED rent advantage over non-LEED is about three times larger than the premium earned by Class A LEED buildings.
Codes and Standards | Dec 18, 2023
ASHRAE releases guide on grid interactivity in the decarbonization process
A guide focusing on the critical role of grid interactivity in building decarbonization was recently published by ASHRAE. The Grid-Interactive Buildings for Decarbonization: Design and Operation Resource Guide provides information on maximizing carbon reduction through buildings’ interaction with the electric power grid.
Architects | Dec 18, 2023
Perkins&Will’s new PRECEDE tool provides access to public health data to inform design decisions
Perkins&Will recently launched a free digital resource that allows architects and designers to access key public health data to inform design decisions. The “Public Repository to Engage Community and Enhance Design Equity,” or PRECEDE, centralizes demographic, environmental, and health data from across the U.S. into a geospatial database.