AP/Susan Walsh
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam gives a press conference encouraging support for Amazon HQ2 coming to Virginia.
- Amazon announced its first job openings for its Northern Virginia headquarters, called HQ2.
- In a blog post, Amazon noted that the headquarters was "ahead of schedule" and that the company had already leased temporary space in the area.
- It said this was possible due to "a warm welcome from the community and the strong support from state and local government."
- This stands in contrast to Amazon's attempt to come to New York, which was met with resistance from the local community and politicians.
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Amazon's Northern Virginia headquarters is opening for business.
In a blog post written by Amazon's head hiring manager in the region, Ardine Williams, the company announced it has started hiring for its HQ2 project.
These new workers will operate in a temporary space the company has rented in anticipation of the massive new headquarters in progress, which could eventually house up to 25,000 Amazon workers. The positions will start in June, when the temporary space opens.
Williams noted that work on the headquarters was "ahead of schedule," and that the company would hire 400 people for it this year. She also took a chance in the second sentence of the post to lavish praise on how Virginia has received Amazon.
"We've enjoyed a warm welcome from the community and the strong support from state and local government has allowed us to make significant progress towards establishing our presence here," Williams wrote.
It stands in stark contrast to Amazon's decision to cancel its New York City HQ2 project, which was due to rise in Long Island City, Queens. Amazon blamed the decision on opposition from state and local politicians.
Read more: Amazon cancels New York HQ2
"For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term," the company wrote in a post in February, announcing the cancellation of the project.
It continued: "While polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City."
