AMZN Amazon.com Inc

By Katie Honan 

Two Queens politicians who were fierce critics of the deal to build a new Amazon.com Inc. campus in their districts have faced blowback from residents and business owners since the company ditched the plan.

New York City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and state Sen. Mike Gianaris helped lead a group of politicians, progressive organizations and unions in opposing the deal that New York City and the state struck with Amazon in November. The company agreed to invest $2.5 billion in a site in Long Island City, Queens, and bring 25,000 jobs in exchange for $3 billion in tax incentives. Opponents decried the deal as corporate welfare.

Since Amazon's pullout last week, Messrs. Van Bramer and Gianaris have been admonished by public housing tenants who hoped to land jobs at the campus and supporters who saw the tech giant's arrival as a boost for Long Island City.

Eric Benaim, the chief operating officer of Queens real-estate company Modern Spaces, said he had backed Mr. Van Bramer and other politicians in the past, but they bungled the Amazon deal. He said he texted Mr. Van Bramer after Thursday's announcement, telling the councilman, "I warned you. I told you this would happen."

Mr. Benaim said Tuesday that the two politicians made a huge mistake and face uncertain political futures. "I don't know where you go from here," he said.

A group representing tenant-association presidents at four public housing developments near the Long Island City site also released a statement criticizing both politicians, who are both Democrats, after deal was dead. "Jimmy Van Bramer and Mike Gianaris used to be the politicians we came to when we needed help," the statement said. "This time, they didn't even talk to us."

Amazon walked away from the deal last week despite recent polls showing a majority of New Yorkers supported its planned campus. The decision came after months of criticism, including New York City Council hearings where company executives were grilled about the closed-door negotiations over the tax incentives and their anti-union stance. Mr. Gianaris' nomination to a state board with sway over the tax incentives also fueled Amazon's choice.

The company said Thursday that some politicians "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."

Mr. Van Bramer, a two-term councilman, said Tuesday that he knew opposing Amazon could hurt his political future. He is term-limited out of his council seat in 2021 and is considering a run for Queens Borough President.

"There are people who are angry at me, but I knew that going in, I had my eyes wide open," he said.

Mr. Van Bramer read the polls showing many Queens residents backed the deal. But he said he spoke with residents, many of whom had mixed feelings. He ultimately went with his conscience, he said. "At some point you have to let the political chips fall where they may," he said.

Mr. Gianaris, who has been in the state senate since 2011 and faces re-election in 2020, didn't respond to a request for comment. But after the Amazon deal ended, he said "New York will be just fine."

Justin Potter, a 39-year-old Long Island City resident, said he created the website DefeatGianaris.com on Thursday, hours after Amazon's announcement. He said the deal wasn't perfect but saw it as a "tremendous opportunity" for Long Island City.

"I felt that Gianaris was not representing the interests of a majority of his constituents but the demands of the most strident," Mr. Potter said.

Bree Chambers, 40, also a resident of Long Island City, said she saw Amazon's arrival as a benefit that would improve infrastructure and schools. She and other parents met with Amazon representatives and discussed building a high school in Long Island City and expanding capacity for existing schools.

While she was angry at Amazon for leaving, she put a lot of the blame on the elected officials opposing the deal, she said. "If you a representing a district you have to at least acknowledge different voices," she said.

Write to Katie Honan at Katie.Honan@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 19, 2019 19:32 ET (00:32 GMT)

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