What to Know
- It's official: New York City will become home to part of Amazon's new East Coast headquarters
- Amazon has announced it will split its new headquarters, known as HQ2, between Long Island City in Queens and Crystal City, Virginia
- Amazon announced last year it was looking to open a second headquarters somewhere in North America, bringing as many as 50,000 new jobs
Amazon announced Tuesday that it will be opening a new headquarters in New York City, bringing with it thousands of full-time jobs, but not everyone is on board with the move.
On Wednesday, those against the Queens plan will protest the move. Many are upset over tax incentives the city is giving Amazon. Some worry lower income families and individuals may be driven out and put a strain on mass transit with thousands more commuting every day to the Long Island City area.
However, on the other end, some say it's a huge opportunity. The other part of HQ2 will open in Crystal City in northern Virginia.
Amazon said it will invest $5 billion and create more than 50,000 jobs across the two new headquarters locations, with more than 25,000 employees each (and the potential to expand to 40,000) in Queens and Arlington by 2033. New York state is offering incentives of up to $1.7 billion if Amazon hits the 40,000 mark, which it would have until 2034 to achieve.
Hiring at both headquarters will begin in 2019. Starting in 2020, Amazon will have job fairs and resume workshops for three years to promote employment to NYCHA residents.
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"We are excited to build new headquarters in New York City and Northern Virginia,” Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, said in a statement. “These two locations will allow us to attract world-class talent that will help us to continue inventing for customers for years to come. The team did a great job selecting these sites, and we look forward to becoming an even bigger part of these communities.
