Virginia, DC politicians weighing in on Amazon HQ2 Arlington announcement
ARLINGTON, Va. - Amazon made it official on Tuesday when it announced that Arlington, Va. will share a split of the company's new second headquarters with New York City.
Local politicians and public figures throughout the DMV are already chiming in to celebrate the announcement - which the company claims will include 25,000 jobs for the location Arlington's Crystal City location.
Amazon is poised to receive $573 million in exchange for creating jobs with an average wage of over $150,000.
The state of Virginia is giving the company $550 million, while Arlington is pledging $23 million.
Congressman Don Beyer said the arrival of the online retail giant signals a transformation for Northern Virginia.
"Amazon's announcement that it will bring half of its HQ2 to Arlington is a validation of a generation's worth of work to make northern Virginia an economic engine of the nation. The Northern Virginia of my youth was a bedroom suburb of the nation's capital. The Northern Virginia of today is an economic and cultural dynamo, on the leading edge of the technology revolution that is bettering lives around the world. This transformation involved leadership by all sectors -- business, higher education, government, and community."
Virginia Senator Mark Warner celebrated the announcement as a boon for the entire DMV region:
"As a former Governor, now Senator, but also as a former technology executive, I'm really excited about the potential Amazon offers not only to Northern Virginia but the whole capital region and the entire Commonwealth. We've seen that major investments like these can bring not only thousands of direct jobs but also lead to job growth in other industries. As we welcome Amazon's new investment in Virginia, we must commit to implementing this announcement in a way that will benefit the whole region and all of the Commonwealth."
Tim Kaine - who recently defeated Corey Stewart in the race for U.S. Senate - credited the quality of Virginia's workforce for making the region attractive to the online retail giant.
"I'm thrilled that our skilled workforce helped persuade Amazon to bring a major new headquarters and its tens of thousands of jobs to Virginia. Congratulations are in order to Governors McAuliffe and Northam and the local leaders who worked to ensure that this deal includes investments in our education and transportation infrastructure."
Mayor Muriel Bowser said the location in nearby Arlington will also benefit residents in the District.
"Amazon in Arlington is a win for DC. We will continue preparing residents with the skills and knowledge they need for the jobs of the future, including at Amazon. We know that this opportunity will push us to work together on our biggest challenges like improving our transportation and infrastructure. We must continue our investment in safety, reliability, and capacity at Metro and find ways to enhance service, including late night service."