Amazon is reconsidering its plan to open a new headquarter in New York City following opposition from local politicians, the Washington Post reports.
The company has not leased or purchased office space for the project, making it easy to withdraw its commitment, the publication says.
The e-commerce behemoth announced in November 2018 it will be splitting its new East Coast bases between Long Island City, Queens, and Crystal City in northern Virginia.
However, according to the Washington Post, unlike in Virginia — where elected leaders quickly passed an incentive package for a separate headquarters facility — final approval from New York state is not expected until next year.
NYC Will Become New Home to Amazon
Amazon executives recently had internal discussions to reassess the situation in New York and explore alternatives, two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the company’s perspective, told the Washington Post.
“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,” the report quoted one person familiar with the company’s plans as saying.
Earlier this week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo accused his fellow Democrats in the state Senate of “playing politics” by nominating a critic of subsidies for Amazon’s planned campus in Queens to a state board with the power to derail the project.
The governor said on public radio that lawmakers would have to answer to the voters if their opposition to the plan scuttles the project. The comments came a day after Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins tapped the chamber’s No. 2 lawmaker, Queens Sen. Michael Gianaris, to serve on the obscure but powerful Public Authorities Control Board.
Source : Nbcnewyork
