jstern
12-14-2020, 01:13 PM
In Long Island City, it’s the scar that won’t heal.
Almost two years after Amazon pulled out from a proposal to build a massive headquarters along the Queens waterfront, the site is a vacant eyesore — and, to many locals, the squandered economic opportunity is even more painful amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The site just sits there empty. It’s terrible,” said Donna Drimer, owner of the Matted LIC art gallery and gift store. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic. People say, ‘If we only had Amazon.’ We got nothing.”
The world’s largest e-tailer abruptly canceled its projected 25,000 job-producing campus in February 2019 after being taken aback by ferocious opposition from local pols — including Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and state Sen. Mike Gianaris.
Nearly two years later, the massive site remains a desolate reminder of wasted potential, while COVID-19 has ravaged the city’s economy, including the LIC-western Queens area that would have benefited from the influx of potential customers into the area.
Seething local merchants and residents grappling to survive during the pandemic told The Post the loss of Amazon haunts the community even more now.
“I’m watching AOC selling ‘Tax the rich’ T-shirts for $58 while businesses are leaving New York. That’s AOC’s solution. Who is going to pay $58 for a T-shirt when you’re out of a job?” Benaim said.
“I’m angry at the stupidity. Everybody fears AOC, who has no idea what she’s doing. Opposing Amazon benefited other communities. Imagine if AOC did something positive with her big mouth,” Cerbone said.
She said Gianaris, whom she’s known for years, was the most surprising betrayal.
“I believed in Gianaris. Mike believed in the community until he went so far up AOC’s ass she couldn’t s–t him out,” the salty restaurateur said.
https://nypost.com/2020/12/13/queens-biz-owners-haunted-by-amazon-loss-amid-pandemic/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter
Almost two years after Amazon pulled out from a proposal to build a massive headquarters along the Queens waterfront, the site is a vacant eyesore — and, to many locals, the squandered economic opportunity is even more painful amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The site just sits there empty. It’s terrible,” said Donna Drimer, owner of the Matted LIC art gallery and gift store. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic. People say, ‘If we only had Amazon.’ We got nothing.”
The world’s largest e-tailer abruptly canceled its projected 25,000 job-producing campus in February 2019 after being taken aback by ferocious opposition from local pols — including Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and state Sen. Mike Gianaris.
Nearly two years later, the massive site remains a desolate reminder of wasted potential, while COVID-19 has ravaged the city’s economy, including the LIC-western Queens area that would have benefited from the influx of potential customers into the area.
Seething local merchants and residents grappling to survive during the pandemic told The Post the loss of Amazon haunts the community even more now.
“I’m watching AOC selling ‘Tax the rich’ T-shirts for $58 while businesses are leaving New York. That’s AOC’s solution. Who is going to pay $58 for a T-shirt when you’re out of a job?” Benaim said.
“I’m angry at the stupidity. Everybody fears AOC, who has no idea what she’s doing. Opposing Amazon benefited other communities. Imagine if AOC did something positive with her big mouth,” Cerbone said.
She said Gianaris, whom she’s known for years, was the most surprising betrayal.
“I believed in Gianaris. Mike believed in the community until he went so far up AOC’s ass she couldn’t s–t him out,” the salty restaurateur said.
https://nypost.com/2020/12/13/queens-biz-owners-haunted-by-amazon-loss-amid-pandemic/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter