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Amazon has canceled its plans to build a corporate campus in Long Island City in New York after being met with protests from state and local politicians.
This included residents who were incensed over the billions of dollars in tax breaks the company was going to receive.
A deal for Amazon to build a complex in the Queensboro has been called off after a number of state and local politicians, as well as residents, sounded off with their opposition to the company coming to the area in the special treatment it was going to receive as a result.
The deal, backed by New York Governor Andrew Comeau (D) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, was to set to reward Amazon with $3 billion in tax breaks and incentives for building their campus in New York.
State and local politicians, as well as residents, were outraged at the humongous tax breaks offered to the company, which has already been putting numerous retailers out of business. Amazon has long been accused of not paying its fair share of taxes, including by President Donald Trump.
On the flip side, Amazon’s presence in New York would have created over 25,000 jobs.
“While polls show that 70 percent of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City,’ an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.
But the backlash seems to dispute Amazon’s claim that it had the backing of 70 percent of New Yorkers.
Amazon said it will not continue to look for an alternative site in New York at this time, but will look to other areas.
“We will proceed as planned in Northern Virginia and Nashville, and we will continue to hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs in the U.S. and Canada,” the company statement added.
