Long Island City is directly opposite Manhattan (and to reply to the other comment, is most certainly a part of NYC), is extremely lucrative property, and much of it has sat unused largely because property owners have been trying to rezone as residential (where it is worth hundreds of millions an acre). NYC is extremely robust. NYC doesn't need Amazon, and never needed Amazon. And contrary to the claims in the linked letter (a spittle laden diatribe of someone mad that they didn't get their way), there was opposition right at the very outset. Significant opposition. Opposition that Long Island City doesn't want to be Manhattan, for instance.

If I understand you, what you are describing is gentrification.

> Opposition that Long Island City doesn't want to be Manhattan, for instance.

Being converted in a residential area for rich people does not look better.

> there was opposition right at the very outset. Significant opposition.

Considering the level of misinformation and how politically entrenched it was this means less than usual.