[NYguy]

https://nypost.com/2018/11/06/where-...orkers-end-up/

Where in Long Island City could Amazon’s 25K workers end up?


By Lois Weiss
November 6, 2018

Could the Citigroup Building at One Court Square become the top spot for Amazon as a Long Island City HQ2?

Surely, the nearly 1 million square feet now available — as first reported by The Post’s Steve Cuozzo — will go a long way to housing the tech giant’s expected 25,000 employees.

Another 25,000 may be headed to JBG Smith’s Crystal City in Arlington, Va., just a powerboat ride down the Potomac River from Chief Executive Jeff Bezos’ local digs.

But at the new NYC average of 200 square feet per person, the Citi tower in LIC would hold only 5,000 Amazonians. Squeeze ’em into a high-density layout of 120 square feet and the head count goes to 8,333, give or take part of a person.

The financial institution is downsizing in the tower, now owned by Savanna. Its top of tower signage would also appeal to the tech giant, which has held our rapt attention for the last year as it conducted a search to wring the most incentives out of every jurisdiction.

The state and city are expected to pony up many millions of dollars for tax breaks and infrastructure, such as the $180 million suspiciously announced last week to beef up sewers and such in Long Island City.

There are other possibilities for where Amazon can live, work and thrive.

Chris Yu has started building a 67-story tower at 22-15 44th Drive set to rise to 964 feet and become the tallest in Queens.

Its 802 units are being marketed for more than $1 billion. Amazon could just buy the whole thing and rent to its employees when the structure is completed in two years. “It’s already on the third floor,” said Eric Benaim of Modern Spaces, the sales agent for the tower.

Ironically, the developer bought the site from Citigroup, which had planned another office building.

Nearby, Brause Realty will have the entire 711,236- square-foot 27-01 Queens Plaza North available in 2023 for another 5,600 employees.

Tishman Speyer has 300,000 square feet left to rent at the new One Jackson, aka The JACX, where WeWork has gobbled up 250,000 square feet that could also be rented by Amazon, taking care of 4,600 more bodies.

Amazon already leases 360,000 square feet on two floors of 5 Manhattan West for which it will receive $20 million in performance tax breaks from the state. The building also hosts the Amazon-owned Whole Foods store.

Property owner David Brause, who is also on the board of the Long Island City Partnership, said, “We’re very excited about the prospect of Amazon coming to Long Island City. Unlike some of the smaller cities on its short list, New York City could easily stomach another 25,000 people.”