Facing opposition, Amazon reconsiders NY headquarters site, two officials say

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

By Robert McCartney, Jonathan O'Connell and Patricia Sullivan February 8 at 11:39 AM

Amazon.com is reconsidering its plan to bring 25,000 jobs to a new campus in New York City following a wave of opposition from local politicians, according to two people familiar with the company's thinking.

The company has not leased or purchased office space for the project, making it easy to withdraw its commitment. 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 2020.

Tennessee officials have also embraced Amazon’s plans to bring 5,000 jobs to Nashville, which this week approved $15.2 million in road, sewer and other improvements related to that project.

Amazon executives have had internal discussions recently to reassess the situation in New York and explore alternatives, said the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the company’s perspective.

-snip-


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/facing-opposition-amazon-reconsiders-ny-headquarters-site-two-officials-say/2019/02/08/451ffc52-2a19-11e9-b011-d8500644dc98_story.html

[Me.]

1. Good

They still haven't explained why NYers should give them billions.

[Power 2 the People]

3. +1

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. I was glad when they bypassed the Raleigh area.

[appalachiablue]

4. Good for NY! Wish it wasn't a done deal in Arlington, Va.

Glad to know about Nashville.

[Politicub]

5. I'm so over this never-ending story

Just choose and go on with your life, Amazon HQ.

[msongs]

6. evidently extortion is good when a megacorporation does it nt

[LisaM]

7. I know - we're all separately supposed to feel sorry that Bezos is getting blackmailed.

Obviously, I don't think a sitting president (or candidate, or anyone) should be a party to blackmail, but I find it very hard to drum up sympathy for Jeff Bezos. He and Trump deserve each other.

[LisaM]

8. Yup.

What Amazon has done to Seattle is beyond belief, yet people still shop there and go to Whole Foods, I don't get it. I just don't.