De Blasio, Cuomo Split Over Lengths City Will Go To Attract Amazon HQ
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A deal to bring Amazon to New York is close, sources close to Governor Andrew Cuomo tell CBS2.
The online retail giant is considering whether to call Queens home, and sources say the governor met with Amazon executives last week to sell them on Long Island City.
On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed what he is and isn't willing to put on the table.
"We have a great incentive package," Cuomo said, with the mayor clarifying the city wasn't willing to give away the store.
"We do not believe in subsidies to corporations for retention or to attract corporations," de Blasio said. "That's a very strong view that I hold, and it's the difference from the Bloomberg administration that did believe in those kind of corporate subsidies."
Instead, for months he said city staffers have been in contact with Amazon leaders giving them site tours.
"We have the strongest talent base of the whole country, that they could be a part of why we can make this location work," de Blasio said. "It's not just tens of thousands of jobs, it's also that this consolidates New York City as an international tech hub."
The New York Times reports Amazon is nearing a deal to put 25,000 workers in Long Island City. Another possibility could be in Crystal City, Virginia. Along with job growth, it could mean billions in investments for New York.
The governor is so eager to close a deal, he joked that he'd change his name to "Amazon Cuomo, if that's what it takes."
De Blasio, on the other hand, gave a resounding "no thanks" to the name change idea.
Some Long Island City residents worry giving the company tax credits will send rents soaring even higher and hurt small businesses. CBS2 reached out to Amazon, but they so far have declined comment.