The deal struck by Amazon and New York state officials in regards to the planned second headquarters has come under scrutiny and criticism by legislators. Long Island City was chosen as the new location for the massive development of what Amazon has called HQ2, which will be the epicenter of the company’s business and distribution in the northeast. While the company has stated that the new headquarters will bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the region, others worry that this deal was made without considering the local citizenship. While the company will undoubtedly bring jobs, Amazon has already been under fire for business practices regarding employees in recent times.
Those who don’t want to see HQ2 in their city believe that it will actually cause more harm than good, and believe that the billions of dollars in public land and tax money that are being used by Amazon should have been subject to a public forum. Instead, Amazon seemingly made a closed door deal with state officials, including Governor Anthony Cuomo and Mayor Bill DeBlasio, without going through the city councils land use review process.
A hearing is being held to get to the bottom of many of the questions that lawmakers like Council Member Cory Johnson say the public demands answers for, such as the effects of gentrification and possible displacement that the headquarters may bring. Amazon has stated that the new facility will bring $27.5 billion in state and city revenue.
