Fall Church, Virginia. – Amazon It is asking Virginia for nearly $153 million in state stimulus payments, which would be the first tranche of money to be paid out since the tech giant agreed in 2018 to build a headquarters complex in the state.
The application comes even as Amazon has paused work on what will be the centerpiece of the company’s campus — the Pen Place development, which will feature a 350-foot helix-shaped tower.
The grant application — filed by Amazon on March 31 and released by Virginia economic development officials on Wednesday — seeks $152.7 million. This is consistent with the incentive deal Virginia used to entice Amazon to build a second headquarters to complement its original Seattle location.
Under the agreement, Amazon is expected to create 25,000 jobs in Arlington County, Virginia — across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital — by 2038. Amazon receives a $22,000 grant for each job.
Amazon confirms that it is delaying the completion of the massive HQ2 project
In its application, Amazon said it had created 6,939 jobs eligible for the stimulus grant as of the end of 2024. The company also confirmed that the average annual salary for the jobs is more than $157,000, which is also a requirement for the stimulus package.
Despite the work stoppage Amazon announced last month, Amazon is ahead of the pace it set when the deal was first announced, which initially predicted roughly 5,000 workers would be employed in the new headquarters at this point.
In previous public statements, Amazon said it had more than 8,000 jobs related to the HQ2 project. In the application, Amazon said the difference was attributable to employees assigned to HQ2 who live outside the area or have not yet moved to Virginia.
The application states that Amazon has “high confidence” that it will meet the requirement to create at least 25,000 jobs for the project by 2038.
Check out the wonders of Amazon HQ2 “The Helix” – this one might have been in the Triangle
“As we have always said, HQ2 is a multi-year, long-term investment, and our long-term intention and commitment remain unchanged, including our plan to create 25,000 jobs at Headquarters2,” the company said in its application.
State economic development officials review the application. If approved, the money will not actually be paid out until at least July 2026 under the terms of the agreement.
The application says the project has so far included a $600m capital investment that has supported more than 9,000 construction jobs.