JetBlue will stay in New York after mulling move to Orlando
by Adam Lisberg
Article
JetBlue is landing in Queens Plaza - thanks to the airline's love of New York and more than $30 million worth of tax breaks and subsidies.
"We carry the banner of 'New York's Hometown Airline' with pride," JetBlue CEO Dave Barger said. "It was so much more than just the cost side of the equation."
Barger joined Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Paterson at City Hall Monday to announce JetBlue will continue to call New York home after flirting with a move to Orlando.
The airline's jets will soon promote New York tourism on every flight - perhaps with the "I Love New York" painted on the outside of planes.
"Every time you open the door of a JetBlue aircraft ... there should be a little bit of New York City tied to that flight," Barger said.
He said JetBlue wanted to stay where it was founded a decade ago, passing on a similar package of tax breaks offered up by Orlando.
"I like Orlando. It's a nice city, and I certainly wish them well. But I'm glad that people, that JetBlue chose New York," Mayor Bloomberg said. "This is where the people that they need to be successful live, and new ones want to come and live."
The low-cost carrier will renovate the former Brewster Building just off the Queensboro Bridge in Long Island City into its new headquarters.
MetLife tried moving thousands of employees to the same building in 2002, but gave up four years later - after accepting millions of dollars in city subsidies.
"We will always be willing to help JetBlue and other companies that are great job creators by assisting them in any fashion that we can," Paterson said.
The 880 employees in JetBlue's Forest Hills, Queens office will move there in the next two years. Another 70 staffers will move from Connecticut offices and the airline plans to hire 130 new workers.
The city offered $23.5 million worth of tax credits and savings, while the state ponied up $6 million. Con Edison agreed to discount its power by $1 million.
"This is quite a smorgasbord of benefits," said Bettina Damiani of Good Jobs New York. "How is the city going to leverage these benefits to make sure that these jobs really happen?"
City officials said the subsidies are tied to the company creating new jobs and staying in Long Island City.
"We do think we'll get our money back reasonably quickly," Bloomberg said. "If the business wasn't here, you wouldn't get anything."
. Photos by Audrey Gottlieb.