Amazon has finally made its decision on the location for HQ2. The new headquarters will be split between Northern Virginia and Long Island City, Queens. The cities beat out 236 other proposals.
“We are excited to build new headquarters in New York City and Northern Virginia,” Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in a written 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.”
Many guessed that Bezos would choose NoVa because his home and The Washington Post headquarters is here too. Bezos took control of the newspaper in 2013.
Amazon is already making its mark in NoVa long before construction. The company announced it will be rebranding Crystal City, the neighborhood where the HQ will reside, as "National Landing."
The new headquarters will come with 50,000 new jobs over the next 15 years. The new employees can expect an average salary of $100,000 per year.
Here's a breakdown of the areas.
Amazon’s wish list for headquarters called HQ2 included proximity to a major airport, mass transit, a pool of highly educated employees, and room for up to 8 million square feet of office space. It reportedly has picked New York and N. Virginia. https://t.co/QCJeMcQFjQ #AmazonHQ2 pic.twitter.com/TW5iCL8jVN
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) November 13, 2018
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is celebrating the news.
“This is a big win for Virginia – I’m proud Amazon recognizes the tremendous assets the Commonwealth has to offer and plans to deepen its roots here,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in a written release. “Virginia put together a proposal for Amazon that we believe represents a new model of economic development for the 21st century, and I’m excited to say that our innovative approach was successful. The majority of Virginia’s partnership proposal consists of investments in our education and transportation infrastructure that will bolster the features that make Virginia so attractive: a strong and talented workforce, a stable and competitive business climate, and a world-class higher education system.”
Others like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are not so thrilled. The newly elected congresswoman asserts this move will benefit Amazon and Amazon alone.
Amazon is a billion-dollar company. The idea that it will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks at a time when our subway is crumbling and our communities need MORE investment, not less, is extremely concerning to residents here.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 13, 2018
Ocasio-Cortez says the HQ placement should be met with skepticism until the company proves it will benefit the surrounding community and not adversely affect the cost of living.