Creating an ‘Airport Village’

The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation (GJDC) has announced plans to create a new street-level retail space under the Long Island Railroad’s Jamaica station on Sutphin Boulevard, an important component in the planned “airport village.”
The $12 million project will create a 5,300-square-foot retail space, transforming the blighted underpass into a vibrant corridor. The site, opposite the LIRR entrance, is currently a series of garbage loading docks that detract from the aesthetic of the highly-traversed thoroughfare. Construction will begin later this year.
“This project is an important step in Downtown Jamaica’s transformation,” said Carlisle Towery, President of the GJDC. “For thousands of visitors and residents who utilize the LIRR everyday, the Sutphin Boulevard underpass is their gateway to the district. Thanks to the efforts of Congressmember Gregory Meeks, Assemblymember Vivian Cook and Councilmember Thomas White, Jamaica is one step closer to becoming an airport village.”
GJDC, in conjunction with NYC Economic Development Corporation, spearheaded the process to make the project a reality.
The Sutphin Blvd. project is the latest revitalization initiative orchestrated by the GJDC.
In September 2007, the City of New York approved the rezoning of 368 blocks in Jamaica as part of a “Jamaica Plan” intended to promote creation of three million square feet of new office, retail and hotel space, 5,200 new units of housing, and 9,500 jobs.