Thousands of lost jobs or a victory against a monolith: reactions were sharply divided Thursday after Amazon abandoned its plans for a new headquarters in New York.

In Long Island City on the edge of the East River, some residents of the towers that have sprung up in recent years voiced relief, having expected some 25,000 people to descend on the district.

"I was nervous about Amazon bringing in just a lot more crowd," said Danielle Quagliata.

"I feel that the area is pretty built up as it is," she said. "I, for one, feel relieved."

Others feared skyrocketing rents — and doubted claims that Amazon would have inundated the area with jobs.

Carlos Dall'Orso, who runs the bicycle shop Spokesman Cycles, would have undoubtedly benefited from the influx of thousands of executives with disposable income — but he too is breathing easier now that the online giant pulled out.

"As someone who works in retail, I don't have fun things to say about Amazon," Dall'Orso said. "Amazon is killing retail. When all the retail is gone, then they're going to control the price and they won't be cheap anymore."

And of the theory that Amazon employees could have boosted his business, the entrepreneur is nihilistic.

"It's prolonging the death," he said. "Do I take chemotherapy now or do I shoot myself in the head?"

– Lost opportunity –

But some heard the Amazon news with dismay, having looked forward to the global operation's move into town.

"Think about all the infrastructure and tech jobs and construction jobs and all the support that needs to go in for a campus like that," said David Katzen, who owns a construction company in the area.

"All those jobs are gone."

He blames local politicians — many of whom fought the project, saying the state governor and city's mayor pushed it without their input — whom he accuses of "wanting to make noise."

"I think it was just a bully pulpit for which local legislators wanted to get up and beat their drums and be heard," Katzen said.

"And now it backfired on them because they never thought that Amazon would pull out."

Some 56 percent of New Yorkers were in favor of the project, according to a poll from Siena University, while 36 percent were opposed.

Katzen dismissed claims that the already stretched public transport system would have collapsed under the demands of thousands of new riders.

"They would have adapted it," he said. "They would have done something else to compensate."

Some critics had pointed to the risk of gentrification that Amazon would have caused, a prospect John Paul Palace, who moved there a year ago, rejected.

"It's already gentrified! That's why I moved here," he said.

Katzen, whose business has been in "LIC" since 1928, echoed that sentiment: "The people that used to live here were older immigrants; Italian, Irish people."

"Those people are already gone."

Amazon drops New York headquarters plan amid protests
New York (AFP) Feb 14, 2019 –

Amazon on Thursday abandoned plans for a new headquarters site in New York City, citing opposition from local leaders angry at the huge subsidies being offered to one of the world's most successful companies.

The New York neighborhood of Long Island City had been one of two locations Amazon selected last year after a long search for a second headquarters or "HQ2."

The online giant had promised the sprawling complex in the borough of Queens would create 25,000 new jobs in exchange for nearly $3 billion in state and city incentives — which had riled some in the community.

"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," Amazon said in a statement.

"We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion — we love New York, its incomparable dynamism, people, and culture — and particularly the community of Long Island City, where we have gotten to know so many optimistic, forward-leaning community leaders, small business owners, and residents."

Amazon said it would "continue growing" its workforce in New York which includes some 5,000 people.

– No new bidding –

The company said it would not reopen the bidding process but would "proceed as planned" with a headquarters site in Northern Virginia and a logistics center in Nashville, Tennessee.

It added that it "will continue to hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs in the US and Canada."

The New York plan had been endorsed by Mayor Bill De Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo, but ran into fierce opposition from some local politicians and community activists, including newly elected Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district borders the New York site.

After the announcement, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: "today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazon's corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world."

De Blasio sounded bitter about the loss of Amazon, which reversed the deal clinched after months of negotiations.

"We gave Amazon the opportunity to be a good neighbor and do business in the greatest city in the world. Instead of working with the community, Amazon threw away that opportunity," the mayor said in a statement.

"We have the best talent in the world and every day we are growing a stronger and fairer economy for everyone. If Amazon can't recognize what that's worth, its competitors will."

Both conservatives and liberal opponents of the deal have argued that Amazon does not need what some describe as "corporate welfare" for the company led by Jeff Bezos, the world's wealthiest person.

In addition to complaints about the scale of the incentives, critics voiced concerns that the promised jobs could inflate an already overpriced housing market and strain infrastructure.

Initial reactions to Amazon's decision from the local community appeared mixed.

"I'm relieved because I'm a renter here," said one female resident of the Queens neighborhood who declined to give her name. "I'm not sure these jobs would have been what the people living in this community need."

– Bitter pill –

But others like David Katzen, who owns a construction company in the neighborhood but does not live there, were disappointed.

"It was a horrible decision by the local legislators to oppose it," he told AFP. "It was short sighted and ultimately what's going to happen here? Nothing. There's no good that came of this."

Amazon, the dominant online retail giant which also operates services in cloud computing, streaming media and artificial intelligence, began seeking a new headquarters, saying it was outgrowing its current home in Seattle, Washington.

Chelsea Connor of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which had protested the subsidies offered to Amazon, criticized the company for pulling out instead of renegotiating the deal.

"Rather than addressing the legitimate concerns that have been raised by many New Yorkers Amazon says you do it our way or not at all, we will not even consider the concerns of New Yorkers — that's not what a responsible business would do," said Connor.

Scott Galloway, a New York University professor and author, said on Twitter after the announcement: "Immunities kick in and NYC finds its testicles. This is good for NYC, and America. Billionaires should not have their hand(s) out."