As Amazon’s decision to split its second headquarters between New York City and metropolitan Washington, D.C., draws plaudits and criticism regarding incentives used to lure the e-commerce giant, contractors are weighing the impacts of major new construction programs in what are already the nation’s top two construction markets.
Announced Nov. 13 following a 14-month location search that attracted 238 proposals from cities, Amazon’s plans to build 4 million sq ft of new office space in both Long Island City, N.Y., and Arlington, Va.’s Crystal City/Potomac Yards area. Each campus will support more than 25,000 workers and have capacity for further expansion to 8 million sq ft. Amazon’s total investment at both locations will top $5 billion, the company says.