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By Matthew Barakat

The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va. 鈥� Amazon on Thursday unveiled the first phase of its new headquarters complex 鈥� a pair of gleaming, amenity-packed office towers that company leaders hope will persuade employees accustomed to working from home during the pandemic to happily return to the office.

The grand opening of the Met Park office complex in Arlington鈥檚 Crystal City neighborhood near the nation鈥檚 capital marks the biggest milestone in the project since Amazon announced in 2018 that it would build a second headquarters complex in northern Virginia to complement its existing headquarters in Seattle.

Initially, plans for the 鈥淗Q2鈥� project called for Amazon to bring 25,000 jobs to both northern Virginia and New York City. But聽opposition to the incentive package in New York helped derail聽those plans, and the Arlington complex became the sole site for HQ2.

At Thursday鈥檚 ribbon-cutting ceremonies, Amazon emphasized its efforts to ingratiate itself with the region. The company committed hundreds of millions of dollars to help preserve affordable housing in the region, and the project includes a 2.5-acre park, a fenced dog run and a playground. Amazon even replicated its well-known banana stand from its Seattle headquarters, and will offer free fruit to workers and visitors.

Local leaders have generally welcomed Amazon and聽its high-paying jobs. Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey praised the company鈥檚 willingness to partner with the county, particularly regarding affordable housing.

鈥淲e looked to Amazon to learn about our community鈥檚 values and embrace them as their own,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to commend Amazon鈥檚 leadership for doing exactly that.鈥�

However, development of HQ2 has not transpired without some aggravation. Some community activists have complained about gentrification and rising rents in the area. During construction, pile-driving took place in the first half of 2020, when the pandemic kept many residents in their homes; neighbors pleaded for relief聽from the noise, but to no avail.

Amazon designed its new headquarters to appeal to its employees. The project launched before the pandemic disrupted office culture. Earlier this year, Amazon announced it is聽pausing the second phase of the HQ2 project, though state and county leaders remain confident that the delay is only temporary.

In February, Amazon said it will聽require all its workers to return to the office聽at least three days a week, prompting 30,000 workers to sign a petition asking the company to reconsider.

In a tour of the complex on Thursday, John Schoettler, Amazon鈥檚 vice president of global real estate, said the company tweaked the designs to accommodate a post-pandemic workforce. The towers feature dedicated suites to accommodate group projects, and open spaces dubbed 鈥渃enters of energy鈥� are intended to facilitate collaboration.

鈥淭his was designed pre-pandemic, but we were constantly gathering information from our employees鈥� to accommodate their needs, Schoettler said.

The finished product includes rooftop gardens, pool tables and foosball tables, outdoor electric grills 鈥� Amazon says the building uses no fossil fuels 鈥� high-quality dining options, and a 鈥渄og wall鈥� featuring photos of workers鈥� pets.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, himself a former corporate chieftain, seemed genuinely impressed by the complex as he toured it.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to cause any intracompany tensions,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I wonder if this should be renamed HQ1.鈥�