New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio slams Amazon and local politicians for ‘pulling out in the dead of night’ from Long Island City HQ2 deal

"It’s over and it’s astounding and it’s disappointing and it’s disrespectful to the people of New York City," de Blasio said of Amazon’s decision during a Friday morning interview on WNYC. 

The mayor argued that Amazon acted petulantly in abandoning their plans in Queens "in the dead of night", rather than negotiating with local lawmakers and activists, many of whom were deeply opposed to the deal. 

"I’ve never experienced anything like it," de Blasio said of Amazon’s decision-making process. "Why did they even bother to choose New York City if they didn’t even want to be a part of New York City and do the work it takes to be a good neighbor?"

Read more: ‘Queens is not for sale’: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York activists celebrate Amazon’s decision to cancel HQ2 in Long Island City

The mayor also claimed that he and his team had "no indication" that Amazon was pulling out until it made its announcement on Thursday. But The Washington Post reported on February 8th that the company was considering cancelling its plans. 

The mayor also laid some blame on local lawmakers who he said didn’t adequately represent the interests of their constituents, the majority of whom approved of the deal, according to recent polling. And he stood by his claims that the deal would’ve been a win for New Yorkers, despite concerns that the new headquarters would have raised housing and living costs and forced lower income residents out of the area. 

"I have a lot of frustration with the opponents [of the Amazon deal] … I think they did a disservice, but I have much more frustration with Amazon, which just pulled out in the dead of night," he went on.

On Thursday, de Blasio expressed a similar sentiment in a statement he released a few hours after Amazon made their announcement. 

"You have to be tough to make it in New York City," de Blasio said in a statement on Thursday after the announcement. "We gave Amazon the opportunity to be a good neighbor and do business in the greatest city in the world. Instead of working with the community, Amazon threw away that opportunity." 

• Read more on Amazon abandoning New York:
• Amazon says it won’t reopen its HQ2 search after bailing on New York City
• Amazon isn’t coming to New York City — and it’s a kick in the face for the people who bet big on property in Queens
• Virginia is now the sole winner of Amazon’s HQ2. Here’s what its planned neighborhood could look like.
• Amazon’s HQ2 deal with New York is officially off — and it means that the state and city will lose out on $27.5 billion in tax revenue