Amazon and Jeff Bezos just announced that their big public relations disaster of a headquarters will not be built in Queens, New York. Amazon’s statement, care of the New York Times:
After much thought and deliberation, we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens. For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term. While polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, 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.
We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion — we love New York, its incomparable dynamism, people, and culture — and particularly the community of Long Island City, where we have gotten to know so many optimistic, forward-leaning community leaders, small business owners, and residents. There are currently over 5,000 Amazon employees in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and we plan to continue growing these teams.
Amazon’s statement goes on to say that it is grateful to New York’s Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo, but in the end, it’s not you, New York City, it’s Amazon. It doesn’t want to be tied down. It loves visiting you, maybe getting a bite to eat and a movie, but there are other fish in the sea with maybe some more money to fork over to Amazon, maybe better tax breaks. New Jersey, as if it knew something, continues to make its case to pay Amazon to build a campus that would likely be as important to New Jersey as the marshes around the Meadowlands are.