Economics
How Amazon’s Booming NYC Neighborhood Got Tax Perks Meant for the Poor
City officials aligned opportunity zones with potential sites. Retailer now says it won’t take advantage of tax breaks.
The view from Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.
Photographer: Christopher Lee/BloombergThe Amazon.com Inc. executives looked battered after more than an hour of questioning last week about their plans to build an office in New York. City Council members thrashed the retailer for its resistance to unions, working conditions at warehouses and its founder’s wealth. The responses drew laughter from the balcony.
So when Jimmy Van Bramer, who represents the Queens neighborhood where Amazon decided to locate its new office, raised the issue of a suite of generous tax breaks the project was eligible for, it was an opportunity to offer a satisfying answer.