Today's stunning announcement by Amazon that it is canceling plans to build its new headquarters in New York City has sent shockwaves throughout the business community. Faced with mounting opposition from some local elected officials and community groups, Amazon has pulled the plug on what promised to be an economic windfall for the entire region.
The excitement was palpable when Amazon first announced its plans to locate its headquarters in Long Island City back in November bringing with it 25,000 high-paying jobs. We all imagined the endless possibilities for economic growth. The Business Council of Westchester quickly formed a working group that had planned to meet with Amazon officials to promote all that Westchester County has to offer - from its highly-educated workforce to its optimal location as housing for Amazon employees. This was good news for many of the transit-oriented developments already springing up in Westchester's urban centers. The revival of these older downtowns in White Plains, Yonkers and New Rochelle has been a major area of focus for the BCW.
Beyond being a huge loss for the entire region, Amazon's exit sets a terrible precedent for other corporations looking to relocate or expand here. We do not want to send the message to these companies that they are not welcome. This perception is something that we will now have to work even harder to dispel.
Certainly, there are painful lessons to be learned from this major setback. In its statement, Amazon said that it could not see itself going forward in light of opposition that "will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project."
We at The Business Council of Westchester recognize the importance of cultivating these types of positive relationships. We will continue to be laser focused on engaging businesses who want to relocate or expand in Westchester County. We will not make the same mistakes.
