By Julie Strupp (Managing Editor)
February 14, 2019
Amazon released a statement on its blog Thursday, February 14 saying it will not pursue a second headquarters in the Long Island City neighborhood in New York City. The announcement follows resistance from local politicians and activists who said they opposed the $2.8 billion incentive package offered to the internet retailer, and the secretive way New York's mayor and governor negotiated it.
The company says it doesn't plan to begin another HQ2 search at this time, but will instead focus on its Northern Virginia and Nashville locations. It's not yet clear whether this means more workers will be coming to the Crystal City area. Either way, given the scale of the region's housing undersupply, the second headquarters will probably have little impact on the overall housing market beyond what's already happening, even if another 25,000 workers end up coming. It may, of course, have larger local effects in and around Arlington.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed an incentives bill on February 5 offering Amazon up to $750 million if the company creates 37,850 high-paying jobs in Arlington.
Julie Strupp is Greater Greater Washington's Managing Editor. She's a journalist committed to building inclusive, equitable communities and finding solutions. Previously she's written for DCist, Washingtonian, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, and others. You can usually find her sparring with her judo club, pedaling around the city, or chatting with her neighbors on her Columbia Heights stoop.
From Greater Greater Washington under a CC-BY-NC 4.0 license.