Amazon Debuts ‘HQ2’ Advanced in Virginia
The 2 buildings comprising Amazon’s second headquarters, HQ2, are seen after a grand opening ceremony June 15. (Jacquelyn Martin/Related Press)
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ARLINGTON, Va. — Amazon unveiled the primary section of its new headquarters complicated in Virginia June 15, a pair of gleaming, amenity-packed workplace towers that its leaders hope will persuade workers accustomed to working from dwelling throughout the pandemic to fortunately return to the workplace.
The grand opening of the Met Park workplace complicated in Arlington’s Crystal Metropolis neighborhood close to the nation’s capital marks the largest milestone within the headquarters mission for the reason that firm introduced in 2018 that it will construct a second headquarters complicated in northern Virginia to enhance its current headquarters in Seattle.
Initially, plans for the “HQ2” mission known as for Amazon to carry 25,000 jobs every to each northern Virginia and New York Metropolis. However opposition to the motivation bundle in New York helped derail these plans, and the Arlington complicated grew to become the only real website for HQ2.
On the June 15 ribbon-cutting ceremonies, Amazon emphasised its efforts to ingratiate itself to the area. The corporate dedicated tons of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} to assist protect inexpensive housing within the area, and the mission features a 2.5-acre park, fenced canine run and playground. Amazon even replicated its well-known banana stand from its Seattle headquarters, providing free fruit to employees and guests.
Typically talking, native leaders have welcomed Amazon and the high-paying jobs it has introduced. Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey praised the corporate’s willingness to companion with the county, notably on inexpensive housing.
“We regarded to Amazon to study our neighborhood’s values and embrace them as their very own. I need to commend Amazon’s management for doing precisely that,” he stated.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Holly Sullivan, Vice President of Financial Growth at Amazon, lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Jacquelyn Martin/Related Press)
Nonetheless, the modifications haven’t been with out some aggravation. Some neighborhood activists have complained about rising lease and gentrification. Throughout development, piledriving occurred within the first half of 2020, throughout the worst of the pandemic. Neighbors caught of their houses pleaded for aid from the noise, to no avail.
Amazon additionally designed its headquarters to attraction to its workers. The mission launched earlier than the pandemic disrupted workplace tradition. Earlier this yr, Amazon introduced it’s pausing the second section of the HQ2 mission, although state and county leaders stay assured that the delay is simply non permanent.
In February, Amazon stated it’ll require all its employees to return to the workplace at the least three days every week, prompting 30,000 employees to signal a petition asking the corporate to rethink.
In a tour of the complicated June 12, John Schoettler, Amazon’s vp of world actual property, stated the corporate tweaked the designs to include modifications designed to accommodate a post-pandemic workforce. The towers characteristic devoted suites for group initiatives and open areas dubbed “facilities of power” designed to facilitate collaboration.
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“This was designed pre-pandemic, however we have been always gathering info from our workers” to accommodate their wants, Schoettler stated.
The completed product contains rooftop gardens, pool and foosball tables, outside electrical grills — Amazon says the constructing makes use of no fossil fuels — high-quality eating choices and a “canine wall” that exhibits pictures of employees’ pets.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, himself a former company chieftain, appeared genuinely impressed by the complicated as he toured it.
“I don’t need to trigger any intracompany tensions,” he stated, “however I ponder if this ought to be renamed HQ1.”
Amazon.com Inc. ranks No. 19 on the Transport Matters Prime 100 checklist of the biggest personal carriers in North America.
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