A group made up of business leaders, elected officials and others is sending an open letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos urging him to reconsider the decision to abandon plans for a headquarters in New York City.

The letter is expected to appear in The New York Times on Friday.

In the letter, the group acknowledged the loud opposition to the project.

The signatories said, “Opinions are strong in New York — sometimes strident. We consider it part of the New York charm! But when we commit to a project as important as this, we figure out how to get it done in a way that works for everyone.”

Amazon would have redeveloped a Long Island City site in exchange for $3 billion in state and New York City incentives.

(AP)