Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., has reportedly sent a letter to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hoping that he can win back the tech giant and lure it to New York City, where it recently scrapped plans to build a second headquarters campus, a report said Thursday, Fox News informed.
The open letter is signed by 70 unions and politicians, including former Mayor David Dinkins, and calls out Bezos and Amazon executives to reconsider its decision to withdraw the project, according to the New York Times.
“We know the public debate that followed the announcement of the Long Island City project was rough and not very welcoming,” the letter reads. “But when we commit to a project as important as this, we figure out how to get it done in a way that works for everyone.”
Amazon withdrew from the agreement after the company faced harsh and vocal opposition from several of the state’s lawmakers, most notably from freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Criticism included tax breaks and subsidies worth up to $3 billion for the company and the potential for rising real estate costs in the area.
The letter went on to state that Cuomo “will take personal responsibility for the project’s state approval,” and Mayor Bill de Blasio “will work together with the governor to manage the community development process.”
Cuomo and de Blasio wanted to bring Amazon to New York with an agreement that would have seen 25,000 jobs, paying approximately $150,000 per year, enter Long Island City.
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