Amazon Helipad Not A Done Deal, NY Officials Say

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY — One Amazon perk isn't quite cleared for takeoff. City and state officials threw cold water on the company's plan to build a helipad for its Long Island City headquarters, as it still needs federal approval.

"It’s not something we were excited about," James Patchett, the president and CEO of the city's Economic Development Corporation, told reporters Monday.

In the memorandum of understanding outlining the deal, city and state officials agreed to "assist in securing access" to a helipad at or near the waterfront development site where Amazon plans to build a campus spanning up to 8 million square feet.

The agreement requires Amazon to pay for construction of the helipad and says no more than 120 flights could land there each year.

Despite the memo's language, officials said there's no guarantee the helipad will become a reality. It would be regulated by local fire and building codes and would need approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, which may not happen, Patchett said.

"We’ve agreed to try and facilitate, but ultimately it’s the FAA decision and I think Amazon ultimately has to make the case," said Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development, the state's economic development agency.

The city currently has three commercial heliports located along the East River in Manhattan at 34th Street, 23rd Street and Pier 6 near the Battery.

Virginia officials similarly agreed to help Amazon get the necessary approvals for a helipad at its other new headquarters in Arlington, a suburb of Washington, D.C.

The helipad was a priority for Amazon, Zemsky said. While officials weren't thrilled about the idea, they pushed for the "maximum number of restrictions possible" in giving the trillion-dollar company leeway to build one, Patchett said.

Every flight would have to go over water, and the number of flights allowed is
"completely inconsequential in terms of air traffic," Patchett said. For comparison, he said, the Downtown Manhattan Heliport sees 30,000 flights a year.

"I don’t think it’s actually significant, ultimately," Patchett said. "But I understand the concerns — totally understand the concerns. Nobody likes helicopters."

In 2016, the EDC moved to cut the number of flights out of Downtown Manhattan Heliport by half in an effort to reduce noise. The agency also banned "doors off" flights at that heliport — though none were taking off there at the time — after a helicopter crashed into the East River in March, killing five people.

State Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, who represents Long Island City, has spoken in support of the Amazon project but said she opposes the helipad and doubts the FAA will approve it.

"I’m not loving every aspect of this and obviously the helipad is aspect No. 1," Nolan, a Democrat, said.

An Amazon spokesman said helipads are not unusual at corporate headquarters but are not used for employee commutes. The company encourages employees to take various transit options to work, the spokesman said, adding that more than half Amazon's workers in its home base of Seattle commute without a car.

(Lead image: A helicopter departs the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in March 2018. Photo by Richard Drew/Associated Press)