EARLY last week came news that Amazon was looking to lease a one million square foot space in Brooklyn for a logistics center/warehouse. Then on Thursday the WSJ reported that Amazon was also kicking the tires at the former Lord & Taylor flagship store on Fifth Avenue for NYC office workers. Finally this Monday came news that they were also considering a newly cleared lot in Maspeth for the logistics center. What these potentially different-use buildings have in common is they are all not going to be in LIC.
Sure, there probably won’t be as many (much) concessions given to Amazon for taking additional space in New York City, but there also won’t be any special benefits for the people of Long Island City. Or jobs.
So I could somewhat understand why your average NYC politician might have been outraged at the HQ2 package lavished upon Amazon, but for the life of me cannot understand why local politicians could do this to their own constituents.
//IN what should have been a completely innocuous race fought by two individuals who were really not that far apart, Melinda Katz was certified the winner of a contentious Queens District Attorney Democratic Primary by the Board of Elections this week.
Amazon’s New York Office Hunt Includes WeWork Owned Lord & Taylor Building – possibly room for 4,000 employees
Amazon Eying Large Distribution Facility in Maspeth – close, but no cigar
Queens DA Primary Certified By BOE – legal challenge moves ahead
How Did A Loyal Democrat Become An Enemy of the Progressives? – Thomas Swift would have had a field day
Brick Underground’s 22 Best NYC Neighborhood News Sites – aww shucks, you shouldn’t have
Four Winters Ice Cream Shop Opening on Vernon Boulevard This Friday – b/c more ice cream is better
LIC Must Get Protected Bike Lane Network – hear, hear
Corte Condo Building on 44th Drive Selling Retail Space for $17.75 mil – in case you happen to have it lying around
Queens Short Play Festival Offers a Plethora of Choices – at the Secret Theatre until Aug. 24
NYC Is Hunting For School Space – officials say it is increasingly hard to find school sites citywide, especially in rapidly developing areas such as LIC
‘Go-Nonna’ Restaurant Opens on 44th Drive – Ital-Argentinian, see the menu
Queens Community Board Rejects Proposal To Increase Size of 5Pointz – all of one story on a completed building, I’m missing something here?
Fine Art Company Maquette Signs Big Lease For LIC Headquarters – over near Sunnyside border
Gosman’s Dock, a Landmark in Montauk, May Be Sold to LIC Real Estate/Construction Firm – M.A. Angeliades located in the heart of Hunters Point on 47th Ave (HQ in Lolly’s building, love how it’s seemingly innocuous)
Shelley says
August 1, 2019 at 5:24 amAmazon may have bowed out from bringing its second East Coast headquarters to Long Island City, but the e-commerce company is still reportedly looking into beefing up its Queens presence.
Less than a week after reports surfaced that the tech giant may be seeking close to 1 million square feet of distribution space in Brooklyn’s Industry City, Crain’s reports that the company is also considering building a ground-up distribution facility in Maspeth, Queens.
Citing “sources familiar with the firm’s real estate plans,” Crain’s says the company is eyeing an industrial site at 55-15 Grand Avenue, between Newtown Creek and Rust Street/56th Road, for a new warehouse space covering over 700,000 square feet. The property was purchased by RXR Realty and LBA Realty last year for $72 million, and is already being cleared to make way for potential new development.
A spokesperson for Amazon declined to comment on the Maspeth or Industry City deals, but if both come to pass, the e-commerce giant will have major hubs in all of the outer boroughs. The company already operates a more than 850,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Staten Island, located on the borough’s western shore; it also plans to open a more than 120,000-square-foot distribution center in Hunts Point in the South Bronx. The company is also reportedly seeking office space in Midtown West and at the former Lord & Taylor building that housed its flagship store on Fifth Avenue.
Anonymous says
August 1, 2019 at 6:58 pmThank you for expressing your opinions. The politicians turned their back on the neighborhood and its a total disgrace. They’re too proud to communicate they overplayed their hand and can’t see the benefit to asking Amazon to come back to table. But hey, “Queens values” right?