Open letter from New York leaders asks Amazon to reconsider HQ2
Mar 1, 2019, 5:53 AM | Updated: 9:20 am
Graffiti painted on a sidewalk by someone opposed to the location of an Amazon headquarters in the Long Island City neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
An open letter published in the New York Times Friday from New York business leaders, politicians, and union leaders, implored Amazon to reconsider its plans to not build a headquarters in the state.
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“New Yorkers do not want to give up on the 25,000 permanent jobs, 11,000 union construction and maintenance jobs, and $28 billion in new tax revenues that Amazon was prepared to bring to our state,” the letter reads. “A clear majority of New Yorkers support this project and were disappointed by your decision not to proceed.”
The letter went on to admit that public debate surrounding the initial HQ2 announcement for Long Island City was “rough and not very welcoming.”
We know the public debate that followed the announcement of the Long Island City project was rough and not very welcoming. Opinions are strong in New York — sometimes strident. We consider it part of the New York charm! But when we commit to a project as important as this, we figure out how to get it done in a way that works for everyone.
Signed by dozens of notable New York figures — including the CEOs of Mastercard, Citigroup, Deloitte, and more — promised that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio would personally take responsibility for approving the revival of the project.
“New York attracts the best, most diverse talent from across the globe. We are a dynamic new center of the country’s most inclusive tech economy. We all hope you reconsider and join us in building the exciting future of New York,” it concludes.
Back in mid-February, Amazon announced that it would be backing out of its original plans to build a headquarters in New York’s Long Island City, citing difficult relationships with state and local politicians.
This came not long after Seattle city council members Teresa Mosqueda and Lisa Herbold had traveled to New York to share their city’s own experiences with Amazon, and offer advice on how to navigate potential pitfalls.
“My message to them was ‘you have an opportunity to do what Seattle didn’t — you have the opportunity to change your zoning, and laws to create additional housing, to make sure there’s infrastructure to meet your workers needs now, and into the future,’” said Mosqueda, back when Amazon first announced it was not moving forward on its plans in New York.
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