Amazon, the online retail and tech giant, has finally announced the location of its new headquarters after over a year-long wait.
In a turn of events from the norm, Amazon has decided to create two new headquarters, with one in New York and one in Virginia. For 14 months, over 200 cities across America waited to see if they had been selected as the location for Amazon’s new headquarters. So, when Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, and CEO, announced that there would be in fact two locations rather than one, citizens in both states offered a wide range of responses.
Within New York and Virginia, Amazon is expected to select Long Island City in Queens, New York and Crystal City in Arlington County, Virginia with the promise of 50,000 new jobs split evenly between the two. The Wall Street Journal noted that all three of Amazon’s locations present and future are “coastal hubs,” with the already rising cost of living and active economies. In fact, Long Island City has constructed over 15,000 additional apartments since 2006, giving it the title of “fastest-growing community in New York City.” Whereas Crystal City houses a more suburban city atmosphere just outside of the nation’s capital.
However, as the news travels through the cities, many New York citizens worry that the construction of an Amazon Headquarters in their state along with the economics it brings will prove to be more harmful than helpful. State senator Michael Gianaris and New York City council member Jimmy Van Bramer voiced their concerns to the Yonkers Tribune that the funds being used to secure the Amazon location could be better used to serve the community. Moreover, citizens in each city shared on social media their fear that the incoming headquarters will increase rent and housing prices. Others in the tech community such as Steve Case, former CEO of AOL, are praising Amazon for their choice as it is expected to generate “billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding communities.”
Yet, financial and political analysts alike agree that there is no way to exactly predict the results of the Amazon headquarter selection except to see how the corporation handles this move, hopefully to the benefit of all.
