Shutterstock
- Amazon announced on Thursday that it had canceled its planned HQ2 project for New York City.
- While some local and state politicians who objected to the deal are celebrating the news, groups of residents and local landlords are furious.
- One landlord, who said he invested large amounts of money into property in the area to attract Amazon workers, is leading a boycott at an Amazon Books store in New York on Friday.
A Long Island City landlord has launched a boycott effort against Amazon after the e-commerce giant announced it had pulled out of its New York City HQ2 project on Thursday.
Sam Musovic, who owns apartments close to Amazon's proposed headquarters in Queens, said in a press release on Friday that he and a group of angry Queens residents would be protesting at an Amazon Books store near Herald Square in New York on Friday. He also said that he and other landlords from the area were considering taking legal action against Amazon.
Tweet Embed://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1096485653309767680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“Boycott @amazon” say protestors outside the company’s @amazonbooks store in Midtown after the trillion dollar company said its ditching plans for HQ2 in Queens NY @contessabrewer reports @PowerLunch pic.twitter.com/Wu3RCzMgL5Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1096489081767374848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I'm not saying they shouldn't be upset, but maybe they should boycott the people who made them leave 🤔🤔🤔 #DNC #AOC #HQ2 #Amazon pic.twitter.com/UJHF2Ss8ljTweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1096491816638132224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
This group wants to bring back Amazon. They’re protesting outside Amazon Books on 34th Street in Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/vqdzhfPJEQ
Musovic told Business Insider that the news about HQ2 being canceled was "devastating."
"I thought I was going to be the happiest guy on the planet," he said.
Musovic said he took out a loan of more than $1 million from the bank to renovate his apartments in Long Island City and two restaurants that he owns on the Upper East Side before Amazon announced it would be opening in the area. On hearing the news, he shifted his focus to investing in the Long Island City locations, putting in new kitchens and bathrooms, believing that he would get this money back when more people move to the area.
Amazon had said that it would bring as many as 40,000 jobs to the city with its new headquarters over time. Now, that won't be happening. In a blog post on Thursday, the retail giant called out state and local politicians and hinted that their protests were behind its decision to kill its plans to come to New York.
"I am not going to be able to recoup the benefits," Musovic said. "It's a huge loss. We want Amazon back."
Musovic wasn't the only one to go all-in on real estate in the area. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that real-estate brokers in Queens were seeing record sales because of the HQ2 deal.
According to StreetEasy, in the five weeks after Amazon’s plans leaked, 18.8% of homes for sale in Long Island City saw their prices increase. In the five weeks before the announcement, no listings in the area had raised prices.
Now experts are expecting the housing market to revert back to pre-announcement levels.
"Long Island City's housing market will likely experience a bit of whiplash as a result of this latest news," StreetEasy economic data analyst Nancy Wu told Business Insider.
"In the weeks after the initial announcement that Amazon would be coming to Queens, we saw sellers in the area increase their asking prices, interest from buyers and investors spike to new highs, and for-sale listings beyond Long Island City — in areas like Midtown and Astoria — tout their proximity to the new Amazon campus."
Amazon will be sticking to its plan to develop a new headquarters in Northern Virginia as well as a new office in Nashville.
- Read more about Amazon canceling its plans for NYC:
- Amazon says it won't reopen its HQ2 search after bailing on New York City
- Mayor Bill de Blasio slams Amazon for scrapping its HQ2 project in New York City
- Virginia is now the sole winner of Amazon's HQ2. Here's what its planned neighborhood could look like.
- Amazon's HQ2 deal with New York is officially off — and it means that the state and city will lose out on $27.5 billion in tax revenue
NOW WATCH: Why Amazon canceled HQ2 in New York City and what it means for everyone involved
See Also:
- Angry New Yorkers are slamming the politicians who revolted against Amazon's HQ2 plan for the city
- Amazon canceled its New York City HQ2 plans. Here's everything we know about how the massive deal unraveled.
- Amazon says it won't reopen its HQ2 search after bailing on New York City
SEE ALSO: Angry New Yorkers are slamming the politicians who revolted against Amazon's HQ2 plan for the city
