Before a crowd of more than 200 business and community leaders in Queens, Borough President Helen Marshall spoke about some plans for her third term and her commitment to improving the borough’s economy.
“I am renewed and excited not only about the projects that we will be able to complete but also we now have the ability to lay the foundation for projects in our borough,” Marshall said on Tuesday, February 2, during her annual breakfast with the Queens Chamber of Commerce and its membership.
During the breakfast, which was also attended by the district managers of the 14 Queens community boards, Marshall talked about a three-pronged plan to increase economic development. Her plans included linking residents to career development and job readiness programs targeting growth industries, providing a capacity for bringing a business development system to small businesses and connecting residents to jobs and businesses to procurement opportunities.
“Over the next years, I will continue to work with the Queens Chamber of Commerce to attract new businesses to Queens and help those already here to grow and prosper,” Marshall said.
In addition, Marshall mentioned that she has been in contact with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and she wants the federal agency to open up a training center in Queens.
“Our airports are crucial economic engines for our borough,” Marshall said. “They generate tax revenue and opportunities for small businesses – and they are our second largest employer providing jobs for our residents.”
Currently, JetBlue is in discussions about whether it will move its corporate headquarters from Forest Hills when its lease expires in 2012. The company is reportedly considering a few options including a location in Florida and Long Island City, Queens.
“They started out as a Queens-based airline so we consider them part of the Queens business family,” Queens Chamber of Commerce President Al Pennisi said of JetBlue. “It would be a big loss to Queens County. We would be happy to sit and talk with them and see if we could help them in anyway.”
In addition to talking about business and development issues, Marshall also took the opportunity to talk about the upcoming Census. Marshall said that 10 years ago, Queens only had a 54 percent participation rate – 13 percent below the national average – so her office was ratcheting up its efforts to make sure everyone in the borough is counted this time.
“The federal stimulus funding is helping us do our share of saving and creating new jobs,” Marshall said. “Federal aid is essential for many of our basic aids including school aid and helping to pay for hospitals and police force. That’s why I’m so focused on increasing the number of our residents counted in the upcoming Census.”
