Queenboro Plaza
Oct. 19, 2017 by Nathaly Pesantez
Long Island City has been selected by the city as a proposed site for Amazon’s second headquarters, officials announced last night.
The bid, submitted by the city to Amazon on Oct. 18 in partnership with New York State, and just a day shy from the tech company’s deadline, includes four districts within the five boroughs that meet the “essential criteria” Amazon listed in its request for proposals announced early September.
In describing Long Island City within the proposal, the Economic Development Corporation noted the neighborhood’s legacy as an industrial innovation center and its proximity to transportation networks, including train lines and airports. The neighborhood’s restaurants, bars, cafes, and arts and culture institutions were also listed as attractive components to lure Amazon to the area.
The proposal also identified over 13 million square feet of real estate that could be used to fulfill Amazon’s RFP.
Other districts included in the proposal were Midtown West, the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, and Lower Manhattan. The districts were chosen from more than two dozen proposals submitted to the city. Letters of support for Long Island City as a possible site were also sent to de Blasio by Queens Borough president Melinda Katz and Assemblymember Catherine Nolan, with Council member Jimmy Van Bramer also expressing his support. All three signed a letter, along with more than 70 elected officials from the five boroughs, sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, on New York City’s potential as a home for Amazon HQ2.
“New York City is able to offer the single most important resource a growing company requires: talent,” part of the Oct. 16 letter reads.
In a separate letter written to Bezos by de Blasio, the mayor emphasizes New York City as a place that “can deliver”. “The case for New York City is simple: we are the global capital of commerce, culture and innovation,” de Blasio wrote.
Amazon’s second headquarters is expected to bring 50,000 jobs and an investment of over $5 billion to a North American location. The tech company, based in Seattle, is seeking to build 500,000 square-feet of commercial space by 2019 for their second headquarters, and an additional 8 million square feet after 2027.
A North American location is expected to be announced in 2018 after Amazon reviews proposals and negotiates with developers.
