Amazon HQ2: New York Plans Canceled

Amazon (AMZN) has put a stop to its plans to locate a second headquarters in New York after what it calls much “thought and deliberation.”

The retail giant had plans in place to set up shop in Long Island City, Queens, New York, but push back from local politicians made it clear to Amazon that it was not welcome in the city. The company said that Long Island City legislators were not willing to “work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City.”

According to the company, “the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term.”

Amazon did point out in a statement that it was genuinely grateful to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for their support as it looked to secure a headquarters in the state. Amazon said it could not speak “positively enough” about how hard the men worked help Amazon secure a headquarters location.

Amazon also pointed to the fact that it was disappointed with local legislators, despite 70 percent of New York residents say they welcomed the company to the state.

“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. There are currently over 5,000 Amazon employees in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and we plan to continue growing these teams,” Amazon said in a statement.

Amazon confirmed it will not continue searching for a second headquarters at this time. The company will proceed as planned in Northern Virginia and Nashville, in addition to hiring and growing its 17 corporate offices and tech hubs located in the U.S. and Canada.

Shares of Amazon were down 0.88 percent as of 2:56 p.m. EST on Thursday.