NEW YORK | Amazon - Long Island City | CANCELED

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Zerton

Do they want to build 1 building or a complex of buildings? For 25,000 people and all the associated amenities we're talking about a massive building.

The Amazon campus itself will be a multiple tower, 6 - 8 msf complex in the areas outlined. There will be multiple residential towers that aren't technically a part of the complex, that will be built both adjacent to and near the complex.











The city had the FAA do some studies a couple of years ago for supertall towers in the LIC area, where it was determined that 750 - 800 ft be the limit. But I don't think that waterfront was considered. It will all be taken into account when Amazon presents its plan to tge state.

[Hudson11]

Originally Posted by Zerton

Do they want to build 1 building or a complex of buildings? For 25,000 people and all the associated amenities we're talking about a massive building.

There will eventually be complexes in both cities. Both cities had adequate temporary space while the two new campuses will be constructed.
In LIC, they're taking 1 million square feet of space in One Court Square as a start. Anable Basin will be the location of their new campus consisting of multiple office buildings developed by TF Cornerstone.
Plaxall has retained a portion of land which will undoubtedly be developed into housing that will primarily cater to Amazon employees.

I do not believe Sunnyside Yards is part of the plan, sadly. Anable Basin is the 100% confirmed location of the headquarters.

[NYguy]

From an earlier post...

https://licpost.com/amazon-will-like...r-public-input

“We need to work with the community to determine where the buildings will go on the sites, how many square feet will actually go there, what the height limits will be, how they’ll be designed, how they’ll be integrated with the community…” Patchett said. “All of that will be part of the conversation.”


Amazon, meanwhile, is expected to hand in a plan within the next two months that will give the state a starting point in how to think of the project’s environmental review process, according to Holly Leicht, ESD executive vice president of real estate development and planning.


City and state officials, along with Amazon representatives, will also head to local community boards to present on plans and milestones “multiple times” and hear feedback over the course of the roughly year-long process.

[streetscaper]

r_181120047_beat0095_a by Mitch Waxman, on Flickr

r_181120041_beat0095_a by Mitch Waxman, on Flickr

[NYguy]

^ Those are some great shots of LIC. Mitch Waxman is a regular photographer in that area.


https://www.marketwatch.com/story/am...day-2018-11-21

Amazon’s HQ2 offers Amtrak’s New York–to–Washington commuters new hope

Nov 21, 2018

While car and subway commuters in Long Island City, N.Y., and Crystal City, Va., worry their trips to work will get worse, some heavy-rail train travelers between the two cities see reason for some optimism. With 25,000 new Amazon employees headed to each city, there’s bound to be some traveling back and forth, the reasoning goes. That prospect has train commuters and transportation advocates hoping the route will see long-awaited upgrades as a result.

“Rail has always gotten a back seat, and, if anyone can do it, it’s either Amazon or Elon Musk,” said Oren Eisenberg, a Philadelphia resident who routinely takes Amtrak to New York. “It’s frustrating to a lot of people who need to travel this corridor daily or weekly because the cost of tickets is so high, and yet the value of that high cost is lower and lower as the infrastructure becomes less efficient to use.”

The trek needs all the help it can get. With airports in both cities congested, Amtrak has surged in popularity as a way to travel between the financial and political capitals.

Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor — a route that stretches from Washington to Boston, with notable stops in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York — is the busiest railroad in North America, an Amtrak spokeswoman said, and the number of passengers has climbed steadily since 2014, according to the Rail Passengers Association. But trains are routinely delayed by signal problems, derailments, collisions with vehicles and even errant tugboats — and those are just examples from the last few weeks.

One major reason the trip can be so slow: the rickety bridges and tunnels that trains use as they flow — or in many cases, crawl — in and out of the New York and New Jersey area.

Transportation advocates say Amazon’s decision to split HQ2 between two hubs on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor adds more urgency to its most pressing infrastructure upgrade, the Gateway Program, which will replace or modernize some of those spans and double the number of passenger trains that can run under the Hudson River.

A coalition of companies — including Siemens and real-estate developers the Durst Organization and Brookfield Properties — have joined the effort to push the Gateway Program forward, and Amazon would be a welcome addition to that list, Simons said.

“It would be a win-win for Amazon to be involved in the advocacy for it,” she said.

[NYguy]

https://qns.com/story/2018/11/21/two...ccompli-farce/

Two Queens lawmakers slam Amazon community advisory council as a ‘fait accompli’ farce

By Bill Parry
November 21, 2018

The two biggest Queens opponents of Amazon’s deal with the state and city to establish part of its second corporate headquarters in Long Island City have declined to join a special panel focused on the project.

State Senator Michael Gianaris and City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer who represent the neighborhood, are refusing the state’s invitation to join a community advisory committee which will play a role in planning for Amazon’s HQ2 campus around Anable Basin while having no veto power.

“This community advisory council is a thinly veiled attempt to present the Amazon development as a fait accompli and move the discussion towards how to accommodate their entrance to the community,” they said in a statement. “As we made abundantly, we oppose the deal to bring Amazon to Long Island City and continue to fight against it. We will not participate in the Community Advisory Council, whose purpose is to give local validation to a project we are working to stop in its tracks.”

Van Bramer and Gianaris were also outraged that the Cuomo administration would bypass the City Council and the community review process by creating a general project plan like it did at Atlantic Yards and the World Trade Center.

“This deal will be bad for western Queens,” Gianaris and Van Bramer said in an online petition at Move.org. “Amazon has a long history of being anti-union, underpaying its workers, and preying on local small businesses. We cannot allow long-time residents of Long Island City and the surrounding neighborhoods of Woodside, Astoria, and Sunnyside to be driven out by rising rents and congested transit. The community should not be excluded from this process.”

Good. No one needs to hear from those idiots anyway.



http://thejewishvoice.com/2018/11/21...-to-build-hq2/

Amazon Enters Deal to Pay Plaxall for LIC Lots to Build HQ2

11/21/2018

Amazon, the online retail giant, is making progress on its plans for a colossal New York headquarters, as part of its famed HQ2. Amazon, led by CEO Jeff Bezos, has reached an agreement to pay a large sum for six lots of land on Long Island City’s waterfront property. As reported by the NY Post, three of the lots, which amount to 295,000 square feet, are currently owned by Plaxall, a family-owned local plastic company.

“I think they got very lucky,” said local Councilman Jimmy van Bramer, referring to Plaxall. “They’re going to make a killing here.” The companies have yet to release the price Amazon will pay for the lots, or even whether it will lease or buy the land. Still, it is widely agreed that Plaxall should be very pleased with the deal.

Amazon has ambitious plans to build up to 8 million square feet of back offices, using three lots owned by Plaxall and three owned by the city. Amazon will not need to undergo a lengthy public review for its rezoning process, rather the state-run Empire State Development Corp is flexing its muscle to help sidestep the review by creating a special district — known as a “general project plan” (GPP).

The share of land Plaxall is unloading onto Amazon is roughly 300,000 square feet. The plastics company was planning on using the land to build an oversized 5,000-unit, mixed-use development. The project, which was slated to cost $3 billion, was tattering on uncertain ground, however, because it required an unpopular rezoning and would need to go through a public Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.

“The City said, ‘Plaxall, don’t worry about that 5,000-unit ULURP, which Jimmy Van Bramer was making incredibly difficult to get done anyway. We’ve got a better plan,’” Van Bramer said.

As an additional bonus to the deal, Plaxall will be permitted to build a residential or commercial tower on the company’s additional land, south of the Amazon site. The company will not need to battle for the rezoning, but the city and state have allowed it to be included under the GPP.

https://www.crainsnewyork.com/real-e...mazons-arrival

Building workers union all in for Amazon's arrival
With deal in hand, 32BJ says HQ2 is a win for city


JOE ANUTA
Novermber 21, 2018

A major union announced its support for Amazon's Queens headquarters Wednesday after securing a deal for organized labor to handle security and maintenance in the proposed complex.

Building service workers union 32BJ has proven to be a potent political force by turning out supporters during land-use battles, such as the one shaping up in Long Island City. The umbrella group estimated that Amazon's plan to build a 4 to 8 million square-foot complex along the Queens waterfront could potentially create up to 3,000 jobs for its members.

"We feel the development that will house Amazon is positive and a benefit to New York and to the Long Island City community," said 32BJ President Héctor Figueroa.

The union has preexisting agreements with two private companies that will be involved in the build out of the site, TF Cornerstone and Plaxall, and Mayor Bill de Blasio indicated shortly after the announcement of the deal earlier that the project would be both built and staffed by organized labor. That means that the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York may also come out in support of the complex. That group's leader, Gary LaBarbera, has a close relationship with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and along with 32BJ could help counter the mounting controversy over the up to $3 billion in as-of-right and discretionary tax breaks and grants that Amazon will receive to bring between 25,000 and 40,000 jobs to the city over a decade.

[NYguy]

https://patch.com/new-york/astoria-l...-officials-say

Amazon Helipad Not A Done Deal, NY Officials Say
The city currently has three commercial heliports. Officials weren't thrilled about giving Amazon its own.

By Noah Manskar
Nov 19, 2018

In the memorandum of understanding outlining the deal, city and state officials agreed to "assist in securing access" to a helipad at or near the waterfront development site where Amazon plans to build a campus spanning up to 8 million square feet.

The agreement requires Amazon to pay for construction of the helipad and says no more than 120 flights could land there each year.

Despite the memo's language, officials said there's no guarantee the helipad will become a reality. It would be regulated by local fire and building codes and would need approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, which may not happen, Patchett said.

"We’ve agreed to try and facilitate, but ultimately it’s the FAA decision and I think Amazon ultimately has to make the case," said Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development, the state's economic development agency.

The city currently has three commercial heliports located along the East River in Manhattan at 34th Street, 23rd Street and Pier 6 near the Battery.

The helipad was a priority for Amazon, Zemsky said. While officials weren't thrilled about the idea, they pushed for the "maximum number of restrictions possible" in giving the trillion-dollar company leeway to build one, Patchett said.

Every flight would have to go over water, and the number of flights allowed is
"completely inconsequential in terms of air traffic," Patchett said. For comparison, he said, the Downtown Manhattan Heliport sees 30,000 flights a year.

"I don’t think it’s actually significant, ultimately," Patchett said. "But I understand the concerns — totally understand the concerns. Nobody likes helicopters."

In 2016, the EDC moved to cut the number of flights out of Downtown Manhattan Heliport by half in an effort to reduce noise. The agency also banned "doors off" flights at that heliport — though none were taking off there at the time — after a helicopter crashed into the East River in March, killing five people.

State Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, who represents Long Island City, has spoken in support of the Amazon project but said she opposes the helipad and doubts the FAA will approve it.

"I’m not loving every aspect of this and obviously the helipad is aspect No. 1," Nolan, a Democrat, said.

An Amazon spokesman said helipads are not unusual at corporate headquarters but are not used for employee commutes. The company encourages employees to take various transit options to work, the spokesman said, adding that more than half Amazon's workers in its home base of Seattle commute without a car.

[JMKeynes]

Originally Posted by NYguy

The Amazon campus itself will be a multiple tower, 6 - 8 msf complex in the areas outlined. There will be multiple residential towers that aren't technically a part of the complex, that will be built both adjacent to and near the complex.











The city had the FAA do some studies a couple of years ago for supertall towers in the LIC area, where it was determined that 750 - 800 ft be the limit. But I don't think that waterfront was considered. It will all be taken into account when Amazon presents its plan to tge state.

I'm so pleased that all of this garbage will come down.

[JMKeynes]

This takes the cake.

Some people in New York think that the City's sole purpose is to cater to the poor. New York's social giveaways are out of control as it is. If it were not for corporations and the rich, New York's absurd social welfare state would collapse.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/long-is...ite-1542909600


Long Island City Locals Have Other Ideas for Amazon’s HQ2 Site
Residents advocate for a community center with classrooms, artist studios and sports facilities


By Leslie Brody
Nov. 22, 2018 1:00 p.m. ET

When Sabina Omerhodzic looks at a sprawling white building near the waterfront in Long Island City in Queens, she sees far more than an outpost of bureaucracy for the city Department of Education....

[Crawford]

NY Times is reporting that Durst plans a 1 million square ft. residential tower just north of the Amazon site. Vernon Blvd. will be a forest of cranes in the coming years. I hope these towers are in the 800-900 ft. range.

I also suspect that ConEd will sell its site just to the north of the Durst site. That's a huge property and could accommodate multiple towers.

[JMKeynes]

Originally Posted by Crawford

NY Times is reporting that Durst plans a 1 million square ft. residential tower next to the Amazon site.

Vernon Blvd. will be a forest of cranes in the coming years. I hope these towers are in the 800-900 ft. range.

[Hudson11]

Originally Posted by Crawford

NY Times is reporting that Durst plans a 1 million square ft. residential tower just north of the Amazon site. Vernon Blvd. will be a forest of cranes in the coming years. I hope these towers are in the 800-900 ft. range.

I also suspect that ConEd will sell its site just to the north of the Durst site. That's a huge property and could accommodate multiple towers.

That's probably in reference to Queens Plaza Park. It will be closer to Court Square than Anable Basin. The FAA will need to be persuaded for towers to exceed 800ft. They knocked down both Queens Plaza Park and Cityview Tower by 200ft. I don't foresee Amazon building taller than 800' but hopefully the FAA will relent with their presence driving up demand for housing.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

This takes the cake.

Some people in New York think that the City's sole purpose is to cater to the poor. New York's social giveaways are out of control as it is. If it were not for corporations and the rich, New York's absurd social welfare state would collapse.

Please keep your absurd social commentary out of these threads.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Hudson11

That's probably in reference to Queens Plaza Park. It will be closer to Court Square than Anable Basin.

Nope, the Durst site is right on Vernon, adjacent to the Amazon HQ. It's the vacant block immediate to the north, between Amazon and the ConEd property.

Address is 4402 Vernon Blvd:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/22/r...land-city.html

Durst also has a Court Square property, but was announced years ago, and is nowhere near Amazon.

Originally Posted by Hudson11

The FAA will need to be persuaded for towers to exceed 800ft. They knocked down both Queens Plaza Park and Cityview Tower by 200ft. I don't foresee Amazon building taller than 800' but hopefully the FAA will relent with their presence driving up demand for housing.

Queens Plaza Park and Cityview are nowhere near the Amazon site and closer to LGA and its flightpath. There may be FAA review of Amazon and adjacent sites, but it would obviously be different than the Queens Plaza sites.

One would think the FAA would allow taller buildings on Vernon Blvd., given the greater distance from LGA. There's already a near-900 ft. building right across the river.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Nope, the Durst site is right on Vernon, adjacent to the Amazon HQ. It's the vacant block immediate to the north, between Amazon and the ConEd property.

Address is 4402 Vernon Blvd:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/22/r...land-city.html

Durst also has a Court Square property, but was announced years ago, and is nowhere near Amazon.

From the article.

Eager to embrace an Amazon wave, developers are also dusting off old plans. The Durst Organization, one of the city’s largest developers, hopes to build on a huge site it has controlled for years, a Durst spokesman said. The site, at 44-02 Vernon Boulevard near Anable Basin, can accommodate 1 million square feet of apartments.

It's still up in the air about the FAA. I don't believe any of the studies done were in the waterfront area. There were 4 or 5 sites in there...



http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1649

This Feasibility Study, otherwise known as a limited aeronautical review, is being conducted based upon a submission by the New York Department of City Planning as it relates to the possible future expansion of Long Island City due to rezoning.

The New York City Planning Department is neither an actual sponsor nor proponent at this time. This Feasibility Study is not a formal determination, and is based on very broad, estimated, or general information supplied by the Planning Department as it relates to potential structures whereby the city may work towards identify maximum allowable heights in certain areas for future planning purposes.

Please keep in mind that there is always a possibility that a formal aeronautical study submitted by a proponent may prove to be different from the results indicated in this study, as the results of this study are not considered an official FAA determination.

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...99416021&row=5

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...9416026&row=10

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...99416025&row=9

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...9416027&row=11

[NYguy]

Mitch Waxman

[NYguy]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...s?srnd=premium

Another Winner of Amazon HQ2 in Queens? Goldman Sachs

By Noah Buhayar and Justina Vasquez
November 26, 2018

Amazon.com Inc.’s announcement that it’s opening a major new office in a New York neighborhood sent developers into a frantic scramble this month to snap up real estate nearby.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was way ahead.

On the very same day the online retailer concluded its long, highly publicized search for a second headquarters, placing part of it in Long Island City, the bank quietly finalized a deal to provide $83 million for a massive new apartment complex less than a mile away, in Hunter’s Point South

The timing was an “absolute coincidence,” says Margaret Anadu, the head of Goldman Sachs’s Urban Investment Group, which did the deal. “I didn’t think New York was in the running, much less Long Island City.”

The draw for Goldman? Generous new tax breaks meant to entice investors to plow money into low-income areas across America designated as “opportunity zones.” Institutions and wealthy investors that build in those areas can defer taxes on past capital gains, and avoid them on the future profits from their projects. Much of Long Island City sits in such a zone.

The project, which is being built with the Gotham Organization, has more than 1,000 units. About 80 percent of them are earmarked as affordable for people earning between 30 percent and 145 percent of the area’s median income. Gotham had been working on the project for months before news broke Nov. 4 that Amazon was in advanced talks to move in nearby.

“When this massive development is done, it’ll be one of the largest affordable housing communities in New York City’s history,” Anadu said.

[C.]

I'm loving all these new spin-off developments. From the announcement alone, several development, representing millions of square feet of office, residential, and retail are being reactivated. It's incredible!

[Hudson11]

Originally Posted by CIA

I'm loving all these new spin-off developments. From the announcement alone, several development, representing millions of square feet of office, residential, and retail are being reactivated. It's incredible!

It's a bit unfair to label them spinoffs as most of these projects have been in the pipeline for quite some time before the HQ2 announcement. Amazon isn't creating this boom- they want in on it.

[chris08876]

Yeah these have been in the backlog for a while. It just when developers see the momentum going, the potential demand, the risk suddenly becomes worthwhile, and they jump on it.

The next couple of years will be interesting as the area develops even further. More projects are bound to happen.