NEW YORK, NY - The following statement can be attributed to Tom Wright, President and CEO, Regional Plan Association:

Amazon’s announcement cancelling their move to Long Island City is a lost opportunity to continue diversifying the region’s economy and attracting high-paying jobs. What should have been a rational discussion about infrastructure and community investment got mired in political theater and hardened opinions.

New York must remain a business-friendly region that welcomes investment in jobs, infrastructure, transportation, housing and local communities. The key assets that make us attractive for investment remain: our diverse workforce, extraordinary educational institutions, a legacy of infrastructure investments, and access to global markets and capital. We need to keep planning and investing in these assets. We have done a great job attracting job growth for the past decade, but we cannot take this success for granted.