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Amazon's HQ2 set to open first phase in summer of 2023 despite layoffs

The company is laying off 18,000 members of its workforce, but says plans for Arlington remain unchanged.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The first phase of Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington will open in months.

Metropolitan Park, or Met Park, is a 2.1-million-square-foot project that will house two 22-story office buildings with 65,000 square feet of retail space for local small businesses.  

Several local businesses will be moving into the street-level retail including Arlington’s second Conte’s Bike Shop, a slew of restaurants and cafés, and District Dogs.

A $14 million renovation to an adjacent two-acre public park is also set to open in Pentagon City this summer.

“Construction is well underway and nearing completion at Met Park!” Amazon spokesperson Hayley Richard wrote in an email to WUSA9. “We’re excited to open Met Park and start welcoming employees, neighbors, and visitors to our offices and public park spaces this summer. We will share a formal date and more updates in the coming months.”

Amazon recently announced the largest layoffs in the company’s history, pledging to cut 18,000 jobs, or 1% of Amazon’s 1.5 million global employees in addition to a hiring freeze.

In November, Amazon told WUSA9 that will not affect the progress for the first phase of HQ2.

Credit: Amazon

“We have hired more than 5,000 corporate and tech roles at HQ2 to date and there is no impact to HQ2’s phase 1 (Met Park) which is on track to open in 2023,” an Amazon spokesperson said.

In order to receive more than $550 million of cash incentives, Amazon pledged to create 25,000 jobs in Arlington.

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