Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Amazon Picks Anable Basin In Long Island City For HQ2, Bringing At Least 25 Thousand New High Paying Jobs To Neighborhood And Protests Too- A Short 5 Minute Ferry Ride From Roosevelt Island And Cornell Tech


Amazon announced today that Anable Basin in Long Island City, right across the East River from Roosevelt Island, will be the site of one of it's two new Headquarter sites.
According to this press release from NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio:
... In 2019, Amazon will occupy up to 500,000 square feet at One Court Square while working to construct four million square feet of commercial space on Long Island City’s waterfront over the next 10 years, with expansion opportunities for up to 8 million square feet over the next 15 years. Through a $3.6 billion total investment, Amazon will draw from the diverse and talented workforce in New York State to fill at least 25,000 new jobs by 2029 and up to 40,000 jobs by 2034 with an average salary of $150,000. The construction is expected to create an average of 1300 direct construction jobs annually through 2033. Overall, the project is estimated to create more than 107,000 total direct and indirect jobs and over $14 billion in new tax revenue for the State and a net of $13.5 billion in City tax revenue. The project provides a 9:1 return on investment....

... The City-State agreement with Amazon includes commitments to build a jointly-funded 10,000 square-foot onsite employment center to connect local residents with jobs and training. A $15 million investment will expand the JobsPlus program to Queensbridge Houses and expand tuition-free tech training to its residents—serving nearly 1,800 residents over the next 10 years.

The agreement also secures a new approximately 600-seat intermediate public school, a 3.5-acre waterfront esplanade and park, and the establishment of a Long Island City Infrastructure Fund to invest 50 percent of the project’s PILOT proceeds to deliver on transportation and other neighborhood priorities that will be identified in collaboration with the local community...

... The State and City will collaborate with the company and local community to conduct an environmental review and develop a General Project Plan, as is typically done for large City-State development projects, including nearby Queens West. A Community Advisory Committee will be established, which will include representatives of the State, City and local elected officials. In addition, longtime community developer Plaxall will advance development on adjoining waterfront sites that will include planning that complements Amazon’s new headquarters....
The Memo of Understanding between NYC, NYS and Amazon here.



The Anable Basin Long Island City Amazon HQ is a less than 5 minute ferry ride from Roosevelt Island.

The NY Times reports:
... “Amazon’s decision to locate to Long Island City is an affirmation not only of N.Y.C.’s growing tech talent,” Mr. Bloomberg wrote on Twitter, “but also of all the investments — in housing, schools, parks, transportation, and culture” made in Long Island City.

Indeed, as part of one tour of New York City this year, Amazon executives were taken around the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island — an innovation incubator and a legacy of Mr. Bloomberg’s tenure — and back to Long Island City using a new ferry system created by Mr. de Blasio....
Cornell Tech Chief Practice Officer Josh Hartmann said:
... Cornell Tech is proud to welcome Amazon to New York City as its new neighbor across the river from our campus on Roosevelt Island. By choosing Long Island City for HQ2, Amazon will join one of the world’s fastest-growing and most diverse tech communities,...

Cornell Tech is spinning out hundreds of graduates each year as well as groundbreaking, impactful research, and through key partnerships with CUNY and K-12 public schools, we are expanding the city’s pipeline of skilled tech talent. New York City has emerged as a destination for tech and innovation, and Amazon’s arrival will accelerate growth and success for the city and for Cornell Tech.”....
Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher is also an Amazon Board Director.

Long Island City NYC Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer has expressed opposition to the agreement

and NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson has reservations as well.

Also:

And:


According to Plaxall Managing Directors Paula Kirby, Tony Pfohl and Matthew Quigley and President Jonathan Drescher:
Ever since our grandfather opened Plaxall at Anable Basin more than 70 years ago, our family has believed in Long Island City as a center of productivity, innovation, and artistic creativity,...

... Informed by our decades working with local residents, businesses and institutions, we have developed a vision for Anable Basin centered around that spirit of productivity and quality of life – one that maintains light manufacturing while also creating public accessibility to a long-shuttered waterfront. We are proud to have a partner in Amazon that shares that vision. We’ve seen firsthand in Seattle how the company has worked to develop and integrate its campus and employees into the surrounding community, and we know Amazon intends to execute a similar vision here. It’s therefore meaningful for us, as a family, to be able to work closely with Amazon on a plan for Anable Basin that honors the character of LIC and stays true to the same vision of innovation and productivity that drew our grandfather, Louis Pfohl, here seven decades ago, and was furthered by his children, Ann, Jim and Lynn. Plaxall welcomes Amazon to LIC and looks forward to continuing our longstanding discussions with the community about Anable Basin as plans move forward.
CBS News has more on Who Benefits from Amazon LIC HQ.



Amazon explains it's HQ decision.



And press conference on Amazon LIC HQ by Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio and staff.



Stay tuned.

UPDATE 11/15 - Here's the November 14 Protest Rally against proposed Amazon Long Island City HQ.



UPDATE 1/29/19 - More info on Amazon jobs at LIC HQ.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 8:08:00 PM

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