NEW YORK | Amazon - Long Island City | CANCELED

[C.]

Originally Posted by TowerDude

Amazon should help finance bringing the N or W train to LaGuardia and then on to Flushing (instead of that stupid Airtrain) ... and then the other line should be extended into The Bronx.

I bet something like that still happens. Not necessarily Amazon funding it... more like the State or City funding it because Amazon wants it.

[C.]

The Real Estate market in LIC went from buyer's market to seller's market overnight. I bet the timetables on any planned residential development in LIC has been speed-up to be available when the Amazon workers start looking for homes.

I can't wait to see what state action is underway to override the area's zoning.

[JMKeynes]

Originally Posted by CIA

I bet something like that still happens. Not necessarily Amazon funding it... more like the State or City funding it because Amazon wants it.

That would be nice, but it won’t happen. Construction costs in NY are obscene due to corrupt unions demanding absurd pay.

[C.]

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

That would be nice, but it won’t happen. Construction costs in NY are obscene due to corrupt unions demanding absurd pay.

I agree with you except I think it happens anyway, someday, at the exorbitant costs. It may cost a billion or two a mile but what Gov. Amazon Cuomo wants, Gov. Amazon Cuomo gets.

A rail link from Amazon's Campus in LIC to LaGuardia would likely be a big benefit to Amazon at the 40,000 employee build-out.

[Busy Bee]

I believe 100% the Astoria line will eventually be tunneled over to LGA, but the MTA is not going to build some sort of subway extension to the front door of Amazon. The Amazon development could mean one thing for the BQX project though and that is not only does it get built but it will probably have, along with a trajectory up Vernon to Astoria, a branch loop running to Queensboro Plaza to pick up and dump off passengers at that major subway conglomeration.

[C.]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I believe 100% the Astoria line will eventually be tunneled over to LGA, but the MTA is not going to build some sort of subway extension to the front door of Amazon. The Amazon development could mean one thing for the BQX project though and that is not only does it get built but it will probably have, along with a trajectory up Vernon to Astoria, a branch loop running to Queensboro Plaza to pick up and dump off passengers at that major subway conglomeration.

I agree with this.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by QUEENSNYMAN

At 6:27 minutes in did he (Andrew) say 54 states?

Yes he did. I'm assuming he's just counting the competition from various states/municipalities.

Anyway, the site will be zoned to build at least 6 msf of commercial space with the option to build as much as 8 msf. It will be built on both public and private land.

The remainder of the site that was in the process of a rezoning can still be built residential, as well as the many surrounding sites.


https://therealdeal.com/2018/11/14/t...d-use-project/

This dev site next to Amazon’s LIC campus could be home to an 800K sf project
Plaxall is holding onto the land, located between 46th Road and 46th Avenue

By Rich Bockmann and Kathryn Brenzel November 14, 2018

Plaxall isn’t completely handing over its large Long Island City project to Amazon.

The family-run plastics company, which last year developed a 15-acre plan that appears to have been the key to luring Amazon’s HQ2 to New York, will retain a site just to the south of the tech company’s planned campus where it can develop its own commercial building, according to a memorandum of understanding between the company and the state and city’s respective economic development arms.

“The Plaxall sites to the south, they are going to be almost exclusively commercial,” James Patchett, head of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, said during a press conference Tuesday announcing Amazon’s selection of Long Island City as the home of its new headquarters. “There’s some residential that we’re still contemplating as part of the general project plan for the southernmost section of those sites, but in the aggregate, it’s a commercial plan now focused on that. I’m not saying there won’t be any residential units as a part of it, but we’ll be having conversations with the community.”

Amazon plans to redevelop the northern portion of that site for its HQ2 headquarters, which will initially span 4 million square feet and could grow to as much as 8 million square feet.

Plaxall, however, will retain the southernmost block of the larger project: a group of properties that sit on the block between 46th Road and 46th Avenue. The six property lots, which cover nearly the entire block, would allow Plaxall to build a mixed-use building slightly larger than 800,000 square feet, or a residential building of nearly 566,000 square feet.

Under the residential plan, the new building would be subject to the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requirements, and under either scenario, Plaxall would set aside 5 percent of the space for light industrial use.

[Hudson11]

this will also encompass the project TF Cornerstone was planning in the vicinity, So we can probably expect 650' and 500' towers along with the rezoned basin towers.

40,000 New Jobs Projected for Long Island City by 2033 as TF Cornerstone Selected To Develop Amazon’s HQ2

Amazon has officially revealed its plan to develop a second headquarters along the East River banks of Long Island City, Queens. The “HQ2” corporate complex will span multiple lots and structures on Vernon Boulevard, from 44th Road, all the way to 46th Avenue.

The HQ2 development arrives as a joint venture between several state agencies and private entities. Government agencies include Empire State Development, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, and the City of New York. TF Cornerstone was selected as the designee of the City’s original RFP for the site, and will work closely with all partners to oversee and complete the new development.

The new headquarters will initially occupy approximately 4,000,000 square feet of commercial space, and promises the creation of 25,000 jobs within 10 years. The company’s total footprint will eventually occupy 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 square feet of commercial area. Within 15 years, the company is expected to create up to 40,000 new jobs.

[Jawnadelphia]

[chris08876]

^^^^

They just need sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their head .

Bezos with the Dr.Evil look. Only difference is its not 1 million dollars, but 1 trillion dollars!

[NYguy]

https://amp.slate.com/technology/201...s-offered.html

Here Are the Outrageous Incentives That Losing Cities Offered Amazon for HQ2

By Aaron Mak
Nov. 14, 2018

The prospect of a company worth over $1 trillion setting up shop and stimulating economic growth motivated cities and states to offer billions of dollars in tax subsidies and infrastructure renovations for the chance to host the so-called HQ2.

New York and Virginia collectively promised more than $2 billion in incentives, which it turns out was fairly modest compared to some of the offers that Amazon received from losing candidates. While most local governments have been cagey about their entreaties to Amazon throughout the process—Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in fact fought open records requests to release their proposals—we now have a better sense of what many of the wishful cities were promising. Here’s a quick look at what we know about the various incentive packages, along with estimates of their total worth.

Montgomery County, Maryland: $8.5 billion

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: $5.7 billion

Chicago, Illinois: More Than $2 Billion

Atlanta, Georgia: More Than $2 Billion

Newark, New Jersey: $7 billion

Columbus, Ohio: $2.8 Billion

[animatedmartian]

FWIW, Detroit offered $4 billion. Much of it made up of a Michigan tax subsidy that allows corporations to pay no taxes for 10 years, and then 1.1% 20 years thereafter. The limitation is that the state can determine where this incentive can be applied, but for Amazon, the special treatment was that any site the company would have chosen could use the incentive.

What's interesting is that this incentive was created in 1996. On the one hand, companies haven't exactly been flocking to Michigan to take advantage of this incentive in the time period since then, but on the other if the state has that much to spare why isn't it actually investing it?

Either way, this along with the incentives other cities and states offered, kinda goes to show that companies don't necessarily go after the most lucrative subsidies and the New York media (as they are motivated to do) are kinda blowing the deal Amazon got out of proportion. What's NYS tax revenue, like $78 billion as of last year? That's more than my state's entire annual budget and we offered more money! What the hell Bezos? Sure our state has potholes the size of Mars, but it's free money dude!

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

FWIW, Detroit offered $4 billion. Much of it made up of a Michigan tax subsidy that allows corporations to pay no taxes for 10 years, and then 1.1% 20 years thereafter. The limitation is that the state can determine where this incentive can be applied, but for Amazon, the special treatment was that any site the company would have chosen could use the incentive.

What's interesting is that this incentive was created in 1996. On the one hand, companies haven't exactly been flocking to Michigan to take advantage of this incentive in the time period since then, but on the other if the state has that much to spare why isn't it actually investing it?

Either way, this along with the incentives other cities and states offered, kinda goes to show that companies don't necessarily go after the most lucrative subsidies and the New York media (as they are motivated to do) are kinda blowing the deal Amazon got out of proportion. What's NYS tax revenue, like $78 billion as of last year? That's more than my state's entire annual budget and we offered more money! What the hell Bezos? Sure our state has potholes the size of Mars, but it's free money dude!

Yeah, that's usually the way it goes with the media. Eventually, someone will do a comprehensive comparison of what different places were willing to offer. Only then will people begin to understand that when Amazon says it wasn't about the money, it really wasn't.

As for those other grandstanding and "outraged" politicians, if Amazon was already in Queens with 30-40,000 employees, and suddenly decided they would be leaving the city for lack of any sizeable incentives, they'd be falling over themselves to blame the mayor and governor for not doing anything to keep them in Queens. Because, lets face it, there aren't a host of corporations running over each other to get there. Except, now with Amazon having a massive headquarters there - largest in the city - others will no doubt want to be a part of the borough.

[chris08876]

Tech has the herd mentality. One joins the gathering, others will follow.

[NYguy]

Politicians still throwing tantrums, because they want to play....



https://qns.com/story/2018/11/14/pla...g-island-city/

Plaxall, which headquartered in Long Island City for more than 70 years, announced plans in 2017 to rezone a 15-acre parcel that surrounds Anable Basin for a mixed-use district that would include 5,000 residential units and a waterfront esplanade to make the inlet accessible to the public.

“We are proud to have a partner in Amazon that shares that vision,” Plaxall said in a statement. “We have seen firsthand in Seattle how the company has worked to develop and integrate its campus and employees into the surrounding community and we know Amazon intends to execute a similar vision here. Plaxall welcomes Amazon to LIC and looks forward to continuing our longstanding discussions with the community about Anable Basin as plans move forward.”

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and state Senator Michael Gianaris are not as welcoming, outraged at the way the state will bypass the City Council by creating a general project plan to rezone the site. City Comptroller Scott Stringer agreed, saying the HQ2 project should be subjected to a local rezoning process.

“It is clear this is a good deal for Amazon but it must also benefit the countless New Yorkers who will feel the effects of Amazon’s massive presence in Long Island City by the way of congested roadways, stressed mass transit and a severe shortage of affordable housing,” Stringer said. “I welcome the potential that economic development can bring to our city but any company looking to tap into New York City’s talent pool and vast resources should be willing to make the case in public, transparent way.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo defended the maneuver during a press event with Mayor Bill de Blasio Tuesday.

“This will be handled by the Empire State Development Corporation, which does what’s called a general project plan in consultation with the City, in consultation with community groups,” Cuomo said. “We’ve used this methodology quite often. Queens West was done as a general project plan, Belmont Racetrack is a new project we’re doing as a plan. The Brooklyn Bridge Park was a project plan; Columbia University’s new campus was a project plan; Moynihan is project plan. So it’s done by ESD in consultation with the city and community, but it expedites the process.”

Meanwhile, a look at the other half of the expansion in Virginia...

Video Link

[chris08876]

Future home of Amazon. This skyscraper/high rise node will change for the better in the decade to come.

From Aug 2018. Screenshot via flight video.

Edit: LIC is across the river for those not aware. Or center/middle of clip.

[NYguy]

A good read...


https://www.crainsnewyork.com/greg-d...nd-then-amazon

How Long Island City won over the city and then Amazon
And why this deal is so important for New York

GREG DAVID

The meeting was supposed to be about bringing life sciences work to Long Island City. The group talked about life sciences but then switched gears, as Amazon had issued a request for proposals for its planned second headquarters only a few days before. Why wouldn't Long Island City be the perfect place?

Elizabeth Lusskin, president of the Long Island City Partnership, was there because the organization was the fulcrum for the work. Also present was Silvercup Studios Alan Suna and Gail Mellow, the president of LaGuardia Community College, Plaxall Managing Director Paula Kirby and an executive from the real estate firm TF Cornerstone, which was very active on the local real estate scene.

Especially fitting was the participation of Seth Pinsky, now executive vice president at New York City-based developer RXR Realty. It had been his idea as head of the Economic Development Corp. that the Bloomberg administration should sponsor a competition to bring a first-class engineering school to New York. The existence of Cornell Tech could be a winning argument for Amazon.

The city wasn’t very interested in their pitch initially. But the more the group worked on it, the more compelling it became.

Amazon wanted access to major highways. They are right in Long Island City.

It wanted an airport within 45 minutes. LaGuardia was 15 minutes away.

It wanted ample mass transit. No other city could match our subways and the Long Island Railroad.

It wanted a live-work community. Some 16,800 apartments have been built in Long Island City since 2006 and another 11,700 are in the pipeline.

It wanted talent. Amazon would be almost within shouting distance of Cornell Tech and not far from a long list of other top schools.

It wanted 500,000 square feet of offices next year (less now since HQ2 will be split between Queens and the Washington, D.C., suburbs). There could be that much space in several locations including the Citibank Tower.

It wanted a site for a major development. Possibilities existed right on the waterfront, where the Amazon headquarters would be visible to millions of people every day.

The city’s as-of-right programs would provide hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks, all without violating Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pledge not to provide discretionary incentives. Gov. Andrew Cuomo could be counted on to come up with more money.

The city signed on.

Crucial to Amazon was the ability to recruit 25,000 people.

Cornell Tech said it played no part in the effort, maybe because its dean is a member of the company’s board. But the Queens nonprofit Pursuit did. It runs a year-long training program to prepare people for tech careers. Its entrants arrive with an average income of $18,000 and leave with that number at $85,000. Half are women, immigrants, or without college degrees, and 60% are minorities. What more could Amazon want?

LaGuardia Community College contributed as well. In a video prepared for Amazon, it boasted about how 3,500 students in any one year are taking classes in tech, that the number is increasing by 10% to 15% a year and that like the rest of LaGuardia students they are typically immigrants, minorities and from poor families. LaGuardia says it can be a pipeline for filling those 25,000 jobs.

[chris08876]

Plus in the conference with the governor and the mayor, one program in work for talent is a school to tech pipeline program. Essentially working with schools to have programs that will get younger folks interested in tech.

I do wonder how the nearby Queensbridge Projects will benefit from this. Long term is the key, but if the youth living there can benefit via educational opportunities, that's also great.

At the end of the day, this will create jobs, but most importantly, increase the tech sector in the city. So by Amazon joining, more are to follow. More jobs, and growth in that sector regionally.

I hope the city uses the extra tax money to improve transit. In the end, that will be the stranglehold and one that's on many peoples minds.

[chris08876]

It wanted talent. Amazon would be almost within shouting distance of Cornell Tech and not far from a long list of other top schools.

Hopefully the applicant pool draws from other schools as well. Never was a fan of jobs being given to folks based on the name of the university.

[NYguy]

Dan Updegrove





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