Statement from Comptroller Stringer on Amazon HQ2

“In exchange for the promise of thousands of new jobs and local investments in Long Island City, Amazon brokered a deal to potentially receive nearly three billion dollars in incentives from the City and State. They also get to bypass the local rezoning process for their proposed site that significant construction projects like Hudson Yards and Cornell Tech had to face.

“It is clear that this is a good deal for Amazon, but it must also benefit the countless New Yorkers who will feel the effects of Amazon’s massive presence in Long Island City by the way of congested roadways, stressed mass transit, and a severe shortage of affordable housing.

“I welcome the potential that economic development can bring to our City, but any company looking to tap into New York City’s talent pool and vast resources should be willing to make its case in a public, transparent way. We will continue to analyze the specifics of this deal, but before a shovel hits the ground or a lease is signed, Amazon, the City, and the State must engage in a community based planning process and make a commitment to connect local residents with good paying jobs.”

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