Amazon made it official Tuesday morning, announcing the online retail giant will locate 25,000 jobs to Crystal City in Arlington.
Another 25,000 jobs will go to Queens, N.Y. The announcement comes after months of anticipation and a nationwide search by Amazon for a second location that would mirror is Seattle headquarters.
“This is a big win for Virginia—I’m proud Amazon recognizes the tremendous assets the Commonwealth has to offer and plans to deepen its roots here,” said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. “Virginia put together a proposal for Amazon that we believe represents a new model of economic development for the 21st century, and I’m excited to say that our innovative approach was successful.
The economic incentives of the deal, which Amazon will enjoy for the next 20 years, have yet to be made public. Many of the employees that will fill the new headquarters could end up living in Prince William County.
“Prince William County looks forward to a collaborative working relationship both with Amazon, as well as our neighboring communities to ensure the success of this very significant project. The County’s capable technology orientated workforce and affordable housing options will contribute to Amazon’s continued growth in the region,” states the county’s Board of Supervisors Chairman At-large Corey Stewart.
Amazon’s move to Crystal City means it will fill a glut of office space left behind by the most recent round of federal BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) where military and civilian offices were moved to military bases like Quantico and Ft. Belvoir. The company will locate offices in both Arlington and in the Potomac Yard section of Alexandria in a newly-branded neighborhood called “National Landing.”
The new headquarters is expected to generate $3.2 billion in new taxes for the state.
While huge, Amazon’s total investment lags behind that of Micron. In September, the chip maker announced it would invest $3 billion at its city’s plant, where it will employ 1,100 new scientists who will make chips for autonomous cars. The investment remains the largest in the state’s history.
Manassas Economic Development Director Patrick Small said that, like Amazon, Micron was shopping around for a place to expand, looking at multiple locations both domestically and internationally.
“If we couldn’t do this deal this company would not be in this region in the next five years,” said Small at Prince William Chamber of Commerce event focusing on economic development in the region.
It will take Micron two years to build its expanded facility at its current location on Godwin Drive. It has a slated opening date of 2020.
Micron opened its facility in Manassas in 2002.