Amazon HQ Move Criticized by New York City Council, U.S. Senator
- Non-disclosure agreement kept many of the details a secret
- Outrage over offer of billions to one of the biggest companies
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo were all smiles Tuesday when they announced that Amazon.com Inc. will bring a new headquarters to the city with thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment. But a local backlash threatens to spur investigations into how the deal got done and whether it will benefit the city.
About 250 people huddled against the cold wind in Long Island City Wednesday, near the East River site where Amazon plans to move in. Instead of cheering, they were there to express outrage over the deal, which included a non-disclosure agreement that kept much of the details secret. Despite the influx of investment and jobs, some economists and policy makers have warned that the giant project will raise housing costs, displacing residents, and increase already snarled traffic. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand later used a Twitter posting to join the chorus of critics.