Protesters said move lacked public consultation as executives said massive investment would be good for the city

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Amazon, the world’s wealthiest company, on Wednesday came head-to-head with public opposition to plans to build a new headquarters in New York as its executives said in the first in a series of hearings that its massive investment would be good for the city.

At a public hearing at New York’s city hall, Amazon executives faced protesters calling for the plan, which the company claims will create as many as 40,000 new jobs over the next 15 years, to be abandoned.

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They say the move costs too much in tax incentives, lacked public consultation and will speed up gentrification in the Long Island City neighborhood in which it is located and force out low-income residents.

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“What Amazon is doing is wrong. They’re trying to push through this deal without the approval of the community and the city is throwing money at these fools,” said Marle Woolman, one of a number of activists who twice interrupted the hearings from the public gallery.

Corey Johnson, leader of the city council, criticized the company which he claimed has sought to avoid scrutiny of the deal.

“The city council is typically deeply involved in the negotiations of a land-use deal of this size but that of course did not happen in this case,” said Johnson, describing a process in which Amazon was not required to obtain local approvals or consultations typical of a large-scale development project.

Instead of addressing city issues such as a crumbling subway, record homelessness, a crisis in public housing and overcrowded schools, he asked: “Has anybody asked how this going to affect housing prices? How about small businesses, already reeling from the impact Amazon has on their bottom line? How will this affect our transportation system in an area where it’s already limited?”

James Patchett, president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, described the development as “the biggest single job creation opportunity in New York’s history”.

“Critics may say our economic foundation is strong and we don’t need those jobs … One only has to look to the very recent past to show how economically vulnerable our city can be, and how some downturns can be catastrophic,” Patchett reasoned.

Amazon executives sought to reassure its critics, saying it planned to hold recruiting events with the residents of the Queensbridge Houses, one of the largest public housing projects in the city.

Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice-president of public policy, said the headquarters was still in the very early stages of the development process.

“We want to be a good neighbor to the residents of Long Island City and and the rest of New York,” he said. “We believe both our employees and community will benefit from being stitched into the fabric of the neighborhood where amenities are open to everyone.”

Amazon, he pointed out, already employs a workforce of 5,000 in New York. Its fulfillment center in Staten Island pays between $17 and $23 an hour.

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More than twice as many New Yorkers approve of the deal as disapprove (57% to 26%, according to a Quinnipiac University poll).

But at the hearing, Amazon showed it is taking opposition seriously. Company executives were flanked by newly hired PR and lobbyists in the form of two former New York elected officials, Mark Weprin and Ed Wallace.

They may have an uphill battle. As Johnson pointed out, the only element of Amazon’s plan so far to involve transportation is designs for a helipad. “I’m serious,” Johnson said. “Jeff Bezos’s commute is all set but what about the rest of New Yorkers?”

Huseman pointed out that Amazon would be paying for the helipad. “There are provisions that will limit the number of landings to 120 per year and ensure that if helicopters do fly over the neighborhood, they’ll fly over the water.”

“Do you realize how out of touch that sounds?” Johnson retorted to applause from the gallery.