Amazon delays construction on second phase of HQ2 in Arlington

Amazon is pausing construction of its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia following the biggest round of layoffs in the company’s history and shifting landscape of remote work. FOX 5's David Kaplan has the story.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Amazon is pausing construction of its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia following the biggest round of layoffs in the company’s history and shifting landscape of remote work.

The Seattle-based company is delaying the beginning of construction of PenPlace, the second phase of its headquarters development in Northern Virginia, said John Schoettler, Amazon’s real estate chief, in a statement.

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He said the company has already hired more than 8,000 employees and will welcome them to the Met Park campus, the first phase of development, when it opens this June.

"We’re always evaluating space plans to make sure they fit our business needs and to create a great experience for employees, and since Met Park will have space to accommodate more than 14,000 employees, we’ve decided to shift the groundbreaking of PenPlace (the second phase of HQ2) out a bit," Schoettler said.

Arlington County released the following statement after Amazon's announcement:

"Arlington County values the ongoing partnership with Amazon throughout the creation of its second headquarters – HQ2 has always been a multi-year project, and it continues to be a long-term commitment to Arlington and Virginia. We’re confident Amazon remains committed to the second phase of the project – PenPlace – and its benefits to the community, including affordable housing and the exciting partnership with Arlington Public Schools for the Community High School. We remain committed to working with Amazon in the years ahead, and look forward to the opening of phase one – Met Park – later this year."

Amazon announced the plans in February 2021 for an eye-catching, 350-foot Helix tower to anchor the second phase of its redevelopment plans.

The new office towers were expected to welcome more than 25,000 workers when complete.

FOX 5 tours construction of Amazon's HQ2 facility underway in Arlington

Amazon opened its doors to the headquarters, which will be going up at the newly renamed National Landing, to show off their work on Wednesday and FOX 5 came along.

You can read Schoettler's full statement on the construction delay below:

"We’ve already hired more than 8,000 employees in HQ2 and we’re excited to welcome them to our new Met Park campus this June. We’re always evaluating space plans to make sure they fit our business needs and to create a great experience for employees, and since Met Park will have space to accommodate more than 14,000 employees, we’ve decided to shift the groundbreaking of PenPlace (the second phase of HQ2) out a bit. Our second headquarters has always been a multi-year project, and we remain committed to Arlington, Virginia, and the greater Capital Region – which includes investing in affordable housing, funding computer science education in schools across the region, and supporting dozens of local nonprofits. We appreciate the support of all our partners and neighbors, and look forward to continuing to work together in the years ahead."

Amazon HQ2 plans for next phase

Amazon has big plans for the next phase of HQ2, including an eye-catching building they’re calling 'The Helix.' But before plans are finalized, Arlington officials want the public to weigh-in.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.