U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon said on Thursday it would not build a new headquarters in New York City due to opposition from "some state and local politicians," though most New Yorkers support its plan.
"After much thought and deliberation, we've decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens," Amazon said in a statement.
It said polls show 70 percent of New Yorkers support its plans and investment in the city, but 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."
The company had planned to split its new headquarters between Long Island City in New York City's borough of Queens and Crystal City, a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia.
Amazon said it does not intend to search for an alternative site for the second headquarters, but it will continue its plan in Northern Virginia and Nashville.
The U.S. online retail powerhouse currently employs over 5,000 workers in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island.
In 2017, Amazon announced it was looking for a second headquarters, and pitted more than 200 cities against each other to woo its huge investment. Enditem