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Amazon debuts its ‘HQ2’ complex in Virginia as it brings workers back to office

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Amazon debuts its ‘HQ2’ complex in Virginia as it brings workers back to office


ARLINGTON, Va. — Amazon unveiled the first phase of its new headquarters complex in Virginia Thursday, a pair of gleaming, amenity-packed office towers that its 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’s Crystal City neighborhood near the nation’s capital marks the biggest milestone in the headquarters project since the company 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 “HQ2” project called for Amazon
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to bring 25,000 jobs each to both northern Virginia and New York City. But opposition to the incentive package in New York helped derail those plans, and the Arlington complex became the sole site for HQ2.

At Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremonies, Amazon emphasized its efforts to ingratiate itself to 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, fenced dog run and playground. Amazon even replicated its well-known banana stand from its Seattle headquarters, offering free fruit to workers and visitors.

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Generally speaking, local leaders have welcomed Amazon and the high-paying jobs it has brought. Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey praised the company’s willingness to partner with the county, particularly on affordable housing.

“We looked to Amazon to learn about our community’s values and embrace them as their own. I want to commend Amazon’s leadership for doing exactly that,” he said.

Still, the changes have not been without some aggravation. Some community activists have complained about rising rent and gentrification. During construction, piledriving occurred in the first half of 2020, during the worst of the pandemic. Neighbors stuck in their homes pleaded for relief from the noise, to no avail.

Amazon also designed its headquarters to appeal to its employees. The project launched before the pandemic disrupted office culture. Earlier this year, Amazon announced it is 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 require all its workers to return to the office at least three days a week, prompting 30,000 workers to sign a petition asking the company to reconsider.

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In a tour of the complex Thursday, John Schoettler, Amazon’s vice president of global real estate, said the company tweaked the designs to incorporate changes designed to accommodate a post-pandemic workforce. The towers feature dedicated suites to accommodate group projects and open spaces dubbed “centers of energy” designed to facilitate collaboration.

“This was designed pre-pandemic, but we were constantly gathering information from our employees” to accommodate their needs,” Schoettler said.

The finished product includes rooftop gardens, pool and foosball tables, outdoor electric grills — Amazon says the building uses no fossil fuels — high-quality dining options and a “dog wall” that shows photos of workers’ pets.

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

“I don’t want to cause any intracompany tensions,” he said, “but I wonder if this should be renamed HQ1.”

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Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball: The Megan Duffy Era Off To A Perfect Start

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Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball: The Megan Duffy Era Off To A Perfect Start


Blacksburg, VA- “You can’t win them all unless you win the first one.”

For this new look Virginia Tech women’s side, a dominant win was needed to bring Hokie fans onside. And for first-year head coach Megan Duffy that is exactly what she got after a dominant 99-57 win over University of North Carolina Wilmington Monday evening.

Michigan State transfer guard Matilda Ekh notched a quickfire three just seconds after tipoff, very quickly raising the energy levels of a Cassell Coliseum that was begging to see a near-perfect night.

“It was fun. it’s been like, I don’t know eight months since we played someone else in here. So it was fun. We’ve been waiting a long time,” quoted Ekh after her season-opening 18 points.

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The Hokies exuded what a team in control is expected of doing. When Tech wanted the game fast, they pumped up the tempo and found themselves going on spurts that saw quick passing movements and backdoor cuts that were open allowing over 60 points tallied in the paint on the night.

“That’s also something we have been talking about, I feel like in the preseason. We got stuck on, like, shooting threes and sometimes, you know, not getting to the paint. So that was something we talked about before coming into the game: we have to get paint touches,” quoted Ekh.

Yet, when Duffy wanted to slow things down, you still saw the ball never stick, quick passes were still the name of the game, and Seahawk defenders could never rest as even though the clock was ticking down, the Hokies were moving at electric rates which kept UNCW guessing.

By the end of the first half, Tech held a firm 55-23 score, and even when the Seahawks tallied 23 points in the third period alone, it was a steady reminder of where this squad is at.

“This is exactly what we wanted. It wasn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s the first game season, which is long, but I think the most important thing is that we played hard and played together, which has been our emphasis all summer. 

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Five Hokies tacked over 10 points Monday, with production bearing spearheaded by Ekh who led all scorers with 18, being closely followed by Carleigh Wenzel, Carys Baker, and Rose Micheaux who each tacked on an additional 14.

“People are fighting for time in minutes, and there’s a competitiveness about our young players. There’s obviously some vets and new roles, and so I just felt really good about today where we had at different points a ton of people stepping up,” said a relieved Duffy following her first win in Blacksburg.

Up next for the Hokies is a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina against the Iowa Hawkeyes, in this years Ally Tipoff, the Hokies take the second game as defending national champions South Carolina face off against ACC foe North Carolina State earlier on Sunday.

Additional Links:

Virginia Tech Football: Brent Pry Updates Health of Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten

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Virginia Tech Football: Three Things Virginia Tech Must Fix Ahead Of It’s Matchup With Clemson

NFL Trade Deadline: Former Hokies Running Back Khalil Herbert Traded To AFC Contender



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Virginia reaches $29 million opioid settlement with Kroger and more state headlines • Virginia Mercury

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Virginia reaches  million opioid settlement with Kroger and more state headlines • Virginia Mercury


• “Virginia reaches $29 million opioid settlement with Kroger.” — WDBJ

• “Irvo Otieno’s mom weeps on his grave after hearing cases likely to be dropped.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch

• “Virginia constitutional amendment could expand property tax exemptions for military spouses.”—WAVY

• “Roanoke lags state, nation in most health outcome data.”—Roanoke Times

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• “Convicted killer clown arrested in Virginia released from prison for the murder of her husband’s then-wife.” — The Virginian-Pilot

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

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Wahoos Weekly: Virginia Cavaliers All Sports Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/4

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Wahoos Weekly: Virginia Cavaliers All Sports Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/4


Virginia Cavaliers On SI is back with another edition of Wahoos Weekly, a one-stop shop for UVA fans to see the complete schedule of Cavalier sporting events every week, updated with final scores following the conclusion of each event. This week’s Wahoo sports schedule features events for the Virginia men’s soccer, field hockey, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, wrestling, and rowing teams.

This week’s UVA sports schedule is highlighted by the much anticipated season openers for both the Virginia men’s and women’s basketball teams at John Paul Jones Arena, a couple of big matches for the UVA volleyball team, who faces Virginia Tech on Wednesday and Friday in the Commonwealth Clash, the Virginia wrestling team competing on an aircraft carrier at the inaugural Throwdown on the Yorktown in Charleston, and the UVA field hockey and men’s soccer teams beginning play in their respective ACC Championships.

Click here to see last week’s edition of Wahoos Weekly.

See below for the full schedule of UVA sporting events for the week of November 4-10, including details on how to watch each event. Refresh the page for final scores for each game.

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Women’s Basketball: American 68, Virginia 104 | Recap

12:30pm: Field Hockey vs. Syracuse – ACC Quarterfinals, Kentner Stadium (Winston-Salem, NC), ACC Network

6pm: Volleyball vs. Virginia Tech, Memorial Gymnasium (Charlottesville, VA), ACC Network Extra

7pm: Men’s Basketball vs. Campbell, John Paul Jones Arena (Charlottesville, VA), ACC Network Extra

8pm: Men’s Soccer at NC State – ACC First Round, Dali Soccer Field/Track Complex (Raleigh, NC), ACC Network

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All day (11/7-11/10): Men’s Tennis – ITA Sectionals, Chewning Tennis Center (Chapel Hill, NC)

All day (11/7-11/10): Women’s Tennis – ITA Sectionals, Chewning Tennis Center (Chapel Hill, NC)

12pm: Volleyball at Virginia Tech, Cassell Coliseum (Blacksburg, VA), ACC Network Extra

5:30pm: Wrestling vs. the Citadel – Throwdown on The Yorktown, U.S.S. Yorktown (Charleston, SC)

8pm: Wrestling vs. Gardner-Webb – Throwdown on The Yorktown, U.S.S. Yorktown (Charleston, SC)

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9pm: Women’s Basketball at Oklahoma, Lloyd Noble Center (Norman, OK), SEC Network

8pm: Football at Pittsburgh, Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, PA), ACC Network

10:30am: Rowing vs. Duke, Minnesota, North Carolina – Rivanna Romp, Rivanna Reservoir (Earlysville, VA)



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