Arlington, Va. , Amazon on Thursday unveiled the first phase of its new headquarters complex in Virginia, a pair of gleaming, amenity-filled office towers that its leaders hope will encourage employees accustomed to working from home during the pandemic to happily return to the office. Will agree to
The grand opening of the Met Park office complex in Arlington’s Crystal City neighborhood near the nation’s capital is the biggest milestone in the headquarters project since the company announced in 2018 that it would open a second office in northern Virginia to complement its existing headquarters in Seattle. Will make headquarter complex. ,
Initially, plans for the “HQ2” project called for Amazon to bring 25,000 jobs to both Northern Virginia and New York City. But opposition to the stimulus package in New York helped derail those plans, and the Arlington complex became the sole site for HQ2.
At Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Amazon emphasized its efforts to involve itself in the region. The company has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to help preserve affordable housing in the area, and the project includes a 2.5-acre (1.01-hectare) park, fenced dog run, and playground. Amazon also replicated its famous banana stand from its Seattle headquarters, offering free fruit to workers and visitors.
Generally speaking, local leaders have welcomed Amazon and the high-paying jobs it has brought. Arlington County Board Chairman Christian Dorsey particularly praised the company’s willingness to partner with the county on affordable housing.
“We looked to Amazon to learn about the values of our community and adopt them as our own. I want to commend Amazon’s leadership for making this happen,” he said.
Still, the changes have not come without some growth. Some community activists have complained about rising rents and gentrification. During construction, pile driving took place in the first half of 2020, during the worst of the pandemic. Neighbors trapped in their homes pleaded for relief from the noise, to no avail.
Amazon even designed its headquarters to appeal to its employees. The project launched before the pandemic disrupted office culture. Earlier this year, Amazon announced it was halting the second phase of the HQ2 project, though state and county leaders are confident the delay is only temporary.
In February, Amazon said it would require all its employees to return to the office at least three days a week, prompting 30,000 workers to sign a petition asking the company to reconsider.
In a tour of the complex on Thursday, John Schoettler, Amazon’s vice president of global real estate, said the company tweaked the designs to incorporate changes designed to accommodate a post-pandemic workforce. The towers have dedicated suites to accommodate group projects and open spaces called “centers of energy” designed to facilitate collaboration.
“This was designed pre-pandemic, but we were constantly gathering information from our employees” to adjust to their needs,” Schoettler said.
The finished product includes a rooftop garden, pool and foosball table, outdoor electric grills — Amazon says the building doesn’t use fossil fuels — high-quality food options and a “dog wall” that showcases pictures of workers’ pets. Is.
Virginia Gov. Glen Youngkin, himself a former corporate chief, was really impressed with the campus when he visited it.
He said, “I don’t want to cause any tension within the company, but I wonder if it should be renamed HQ1.”
